Cursum Perficio
by Digitaldreamer
Summary: A darkness is encroaching upon Whispering Rock. The shadow of a nightmare speaks of a looming tragedy. The pieces have been set. A game, a riddle, the answer lies hidden beneath the watery depths. Can Raz figure it out, or will the darkness swallow him?
1. Murky Waters

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter One: Murky Waters**

--

_Hello, hello, and welcome to my fic!_

_Please note that this is not in fact the original author's note that was here at the beginning. There used to be some stupid whiny rambling about how you shouldn't leave and I have cookies, but that is past. If you're reading this now, either you've been in this fandom for awhile and you already know me, or you're not and this is your first time._

_At any rate... hello, my name is Digitaldreamer and this is Cursum Perficio. The name is Latin for "I finish the course", "To bring to an end", or simply "I finish what I started." This fanfic is, to put it plainly, my baby, and has been quite a bit of work over the years. To give you an idea of how long it has been in the making, let me explain: I first started this fic at the end of the summer before my junior year of high school. I am now starting my first year of art college. That's over two years, even taking into consideration that the last year was a hiatus. I originally planned on seventeen chapters, I currently have twenty and the plan is currently for either twenty-two or twenty-three very long chapters by the end. _

_Suffice to say, it's been a long journey and it's still not over._

_I suppose I owe those of you whom are new an explanation as to what this psychotic, two-hundred-something-reviews monster is all about._

_The fic is set six years after the game. Thus, this means Raz has been a Psychonaut for six years, and is at this point sixteen, along with Lili and all the other campers. This entire fic is centered around my theory about the whole family feud between the Aquatos (Raz's family name, as decided by fanon law and a few posters in the Meat Circus) and the Galochios, my idea as to how the whole fighting has gone down over the generations, my ideas over the curse, why Raz's dad treated him the way he did, why Raz is a prodigy... everything._

_In short, this fic is centered around Raz. He and Lili's relationship also plays a major part, as well as his relationship with the other characters in the game, but above all else, this is Raz's story. I did my best to include the other characters, however, so even if Raz isn't your favorite character, I hope you'll give this fic a try anyway._

_Now when I first wrote this, I'm not going to lie, it was ridiculously over-the-top angstwise. Looking back, I don't like how I did it. It's so over-the-top it's painful, hence my revising it. Yes, I've gone and revised every chapter. I plan to tighten up everyone's characterization, add some things here and there (which is the reason I think old readers might want to try looking it over, as they may find some new tidbits of information), and just plain old smooth over the writing. No, it probably won't be publish worthy, but... well, this fic is a big one, and I want to do my best to make it worth reading._

_Those of you whom are old readers are of course, quite familiar with this whole thing. You're also familiar with how very long and angsty this is, and many of you have dealt with my overdoing of things and clichés and have been waiting a very, very long time for the latest chapter and I can't even begin to thank you enough. Thank you all for supporting me and reading... and I hope you'll appreciate the revisions and the final chapters to come._

_New readers... I will warn you now that this fic is long. The first chapters are about twelve to fifteen pages in length... and then suddenly it goes nuts and chapters are around twenty to thirty pages. The last time I put every chapter into one file, it came out to be two hundred and twelve pages, and that was before I got into the chapters that were thirty pages at least. So yes, this is long. It is also essentially Psychonauts: The Anime. It's long, ridiculously dramatic, and riddled with clichés. I try to break things up with humor and keep some of the spirit of the game in there, but this isn't really like the game. I was also warn you that it is angsty. I beg you to try to be patient with it and consider the fact that in the game the characters were honestly pretty flat, it's up to the fans to put themselves in their shoes and try to make them 3-D while still remaining true to the characters. Realistically, the things I put Raz through, there is no way he wouldn't end up the way he does. I do my best to remain true to him, but keep in mind that Raz is older and I put him through some serious crap. There is angst, there is torture, people die. It's a very dark fic. However, in my opinion it's also just a fun read if you enjoyed the characters as much I did and wanted to see more of them. _

_So... in spite of all that, I really hope you'll give it a try. If you hate it after the first few chapters, you can always quit. You can always review and tell me how much you hated it, even. But at least give it a try, alright?_

_Oh, also, if you like to listen to music while you read, I put together a bunch of songs. It's a "soundtrack" of sorts for CP and I think the music really helps the fic, so check out the download link in my profile and give it a try!_

_And I do believe that is enough TL;DR for one author's note, so... well, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is (what else?) _Cursum Perficio _by _Enya, _aka Track 1 on the OST._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Psychonauts, since if I did it would probably be way angstier and probably not nearly as awesome as it was. Please don't sue me, DoubleFine, I love you guys!**

--

_Now I lay me down to sleep,_

_I pray the Lord my soul to keep._

_If I should die before I wake,_

_I pray the Lord my soul to take._

**Child's bedtime prayer - 18th century**

_It had started out so normal. That was how it always started, after all. Perhaps it was occasionally a bit insane and silly, but in the dream it always made perfect sense since it was, after all, just a dream._

_In this case it did indeed seem fairly normal, a field of flowers spread out as far as the eye could see. Blades of grass swayed, a sea of flowing green, while brilliant-hued flower petals floated away in the breeze. A young boy was laying on his back in the field, green eyes half-closed in bliss as he gazed up at the endless, azure sky. A gloved hand absently threaded the stem of a daisy through it's fingers.. All was peaceful._

_But that was where everything changed, and the dream did not become so normal._

_The field, the sky, everything vanished. It was as if the happy dream had simply fallen away to reveal an inky black backdrop. It was dark, so dark, like being placed in an empty, windowless room. He couldn't tell how far away the walls were or even if they were right in front of him, just beyond his reach. To him it seemed no matter which way he turned and grasped, there was nothing there. Just darkness, suffocating black that wrapped its way around his senses, robbing him of sight and and comfort, constricting him. To be in the dark was to not see, and to not see was to be helpless to whatever may be within that darkness. To be helpless in the dark is to fear the dark, which is a primal fear every human possesses whether they wish it or not._

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

_It was also silent. So silent, silent as the grave. He opened his mouth to speak, but no matter how loudly he yelled, it was if the darkness simply swallowed it up. It was as if he had been rendered blind, deaf, and mute, which was a deprivation of three senses now. To have loss of those meant the loss of being understood and understanding, and to not be understood meant not to find what lay beyond that blackness or how to escape it._

**-You filthy child...-**

_Dark, silent, and cold. It was cold, painfully so. It hurt to breathe, hurt to suck that frigid air into his lungs. He reached up to rub some warmth into his arms, but pins and needles had already set in across his tanned skin. His body was numb, oblivious to the sense of touch. To lose that meant to lose his last means of perceiving the world, which was to cut him off completely and leave nothing for him. Nothing but the dark._

**-Why are you so frightened?-**

_He could not see, he could not hear, he could not feel. Not that there was anything to see, hear, or feel, because there was nothing here. It wasn't the kind of darkness that things lurked within, it was simply empty. An endless, empty sea of black. And this, somehow, was worse than the darkness where he could not know what lay within it, because with this knowledge came the fact that he was completely, undeniably alone, without any way to sense anything beyond this fact._

**-This is what you deserve...-**

_The boy stood there for a few moments, feeling fear creep over him. He wanted to see! He didn't want to be stuck here in the dark! He didn't want to be stuck here all alone, unable to see or hear or feel or anything! He was scared. So scared. He wanted something to hold onto, someone to see and feel and hear, someone to prove that he wasn't completely and utterly alone. Someone, anyone._

**-This is where you belong...-**

_But there wouldn't be anyone here, because there was nothing here. The boy wasn't sure how he knew this, he just did. It was as if his brain couldn't seem to move past it._

_It was so cold, so quiet, so dark…_

**-You disgusting child...-**

_He was calling, calling for them, but he couldn't even hear his own voice. And as he called and stumbled, he slowly began to realize that there was nothing there. No one here to listen to him, no one here to keep him company, nothing. And with this thought he slowly began to lose the fight to keep his hope, felt that tiny light die as he sunk to his knees and clutched at his head, locks of reddish brown hair peeking between numb fingertips._

**-Filthy psychic. Murderer, cheater, liar.-**

_And when his hope finally began to flicker away it gave way to cold fear, the demon that stood at his side whispering horrible doubts into his ears that made his skin crawl and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Without hope there was nothing to chase the demon away, and there was no one there to help bring back hope. And without hope, he quickly went from fearful to terrified, completely and utterly terrified._

**-Don't you see what you've been doing? What you've done?-**

_Slowly, however, even the fear left. Everything left, any form of feeling or fleeting thought. He was nothing, just a tiny boy cowering in the dark._

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

_Nothing._

_For how long he was there he did not know, because there was nothing to know._

_And then, without warning, there was._

_It was light. Pure, shining white light, piercing through the blackness like a needle. A mere pinpoint, but it was light._

_Green eyes slowly focused on the pinpoint, then widened, and he slowly stood on uncertain, shaking legs that felt as if they had not been used in some time. He nearly fell once, but managed to rise with some effort, feeling a flicker of warmth rushing through numbed fingertips._

_He didn't understand, but he knew. He had to get to that light, to get away from this nothingness, that voice, that hateful voice._

_He had to get that light._

_So he ran for it, trying desperately for it even as he stumbled over his own feet. He would trip, fall, and then get up again. And as he ran, slowly it began to creep closer, that pinpoint of light expanding, growing wider and wider, welcoming him with open arms. He could feel it's heat washing over him even as he ran for it, fingertips reaching, grasping for it..._

_And then at last the light enveloped him, becoming all that he could see. The boy brought up his hands to cover his eyes, stumbling a bit, disoriented._

_Then it was gone. The boy blinked, slowly bringing down his hands and glancing around. He stood in the middle of some sort of forest. The trees swayed in the breeze, the canvas of stars that made up the night sky visible just beyond their branches. He shivered, rubbing his arms and tugging on the sleeves of his coat. Why was it so cold?_

"_I just don't get it, Raz... why are things so different now?" her voice whispered in his ear, sending the hair on the back of his neck on end. The boy jumped, a twig snapping beneath his foot as he spun around to meet the amber-hued eyes of a young girl. Her long, reddish brown hair was pulled back into two pigtails, her hands on her hips, a dark jacket pulled over her woven tank top._

_The boy blinked again, cocking his head to the side as his brow furrowed in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but found no words came, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Lili? What are you talking about?"_

_She gazed at him, looking almost sorrowful. "You've changed, Raz. What happened?"_

"_Changed?" he repeated, sounding confused. "I haven't changed..."_

_The dark-haired girl shook her head, her pigtails swinging with the motion as she turned away. "Idiot," she muttered before sprinting away through the trees, her pink miniskirt swirling around her pale legs._

_Raz's eyes widened, holding out a gloved hand in an attempt to stop her. "Lili! Wait!" he called, sprinting after her, his sneakers pounding against the earth as he leaped over the roots of trees. She was far too fast, however, unnaturally so, and the trees seemed to move out of her way and then back into place, until at least she reached the path that lead through the woods._

_As soon as she hit it she began to run along it, leaving Raz behind. When Raz saw what direction she was heading, his eyes widened. "Lili! No, wait, don't!" he cried, his voice echoing through the night as he tried to put more speed into his run, trying to catch her, stop her._

_She was heading towards the main lodge, the center of Whispering Rock Summer Camp. And Raz didn't know why, but he knew she couldn't go there. She just couldn't. Something awful was going to happen, he just knew it. He didn't know why, he just did._

_He finally made it over the hill and up to the main lodge, eyes widening at the sight he beheld._

_The entire area was in flames. Bright orange tendrils of fire ate away at tree trunks and burned away grass in seconds, the picnic tables turned to ash. The main lodge was crumbling, smoke spewing into the sky in thick clouds of grayish black as the aged logs sunk inward with creaks and pops. The bridges leading to other areas were also burning, a glance over towards the kids cabins area confirming that they were also ablaze._

_But the worst part was the kids themselves. They were laying everywhere, flames eating away at their camp t-shirts, blistering and blackening already sunburnt skin, melting away formerly recognizable faces of his fellow campers, their hair curling and whithering from the intense heat. Some gazed at him sightlessly, eyeballs bubbling in sockets, while others were long beyond having any form of facial features. The smell of burning flesh joined the crackling roar of the flames in the night air, putrid and sickening._

_Raz stared with horrified eyes, his entire body numb with shock and horror. He was dimly aware of his hands shaking at his sides, his knees feeling weak. The Whispering Rock flag burned from the flag pole and drifted into the dark sky, falling to the ground at his feet to smolder in the blackened grass._

"_Who did this? Why?" he finally choked out, the gave a heavy cough and clapped his hand over his mouth and nose in an attempt to not breath in any more of the fumes._

"_I don't know why. You tell me."_

_She stood there among the flames, her dark pigtails and clothes billowing around her unnaturally , her amber eyes meeting his as he turned to stare at her._

"_What do you mean?" he asked, his entire body tensing. Because somehow he already knew the answer._

"_You were the one who did this, Raz. You tell me," she repeated in that cool, emotionless tone she had regarded him with when they first met._

_Jade green eyes widened even more and he took a step back. "What...what are you talking about, Lili? I didn't do any of this! I wasn't even here!" he said, feeling a bead of sweat slide down the back of his neck. It was hot, so very hot._

_Lili just continued to stare at him, eyes narrowing. "Liar. You did this. You know you did," she hissed, her voice becoming accusing. "Why have you done this, Raz? Why did you kill them?"_

"_I didn't do it!" he insisted, shaking his head._

_Her glaring, accusing eyes stayed on him. He couldn't escape her gaze, so much more searing than the flames that swirled around her like a raging storm. "You did this, Raz. You killed them."_

"_No, I didn't!"_

_He shook his head again, trying to keep her gaze, pleading. "Please Lili, you have to believe me! I didn't do this, Lili! I didn't! I never... I..." He reeled back, clutching at his head, gazing down at the smoldering flag a few steps away. Finally he looked back to her. "Please... Lili, I didn't..."_

_She flashed him a sad smile, hugging her arms around her lithe form. "You did this, Raz. You killed me."_

_And then the flames finally closed in on her._

"_No! Lili!" he cried, dashing forward, trying to make his way through the flames, anything to get to her, anything to save her, anything. But as soon as he tried to get close, he was met with a solid wall._

_The boy stumbled back, disoriented. His eyes then widened as he reached out to press his fingers against the wall of glass before him, it's gleam just barely visible in the firelight. "What?" he gasped, gazing through the glass at the swirl of flames that had consumed his girlfriend._

_He had to rescue her. He had to save her. He had to tell her he didn't do this, because he didn't! He hadn't!_

_Raz gritted his teeth, then tried desperately to go around the wall... only to run into a second one! Baffled, the boy reeled backwards, feeling a stab of horror as he found himself pressed up against a wall from behind as well. The boy's eyes widened and reached out wildly with his left hand to find that he was boxed in on all sides. A frantic glance upward revealed that yes, he was even blocked from above._

_He let out a shuddering breath, looking back to flames. "Lili! Lili, hang on!" he pleaded as he slammed his fist against the pane of glass separating them. The boy winced at the wrenching pain that resulted through his upper arm, but the strike did nothing more. "I'm going to rescue you, okay? Just hang on!" he called as he struck it again, these blows once again doing nothing. He let out a frustrated cry, beating on the glass, growing more frustrated with each failed strike. However, it seemed no matter how heavy a blow he landed, the glass could withstand it._

_And as he fought the flames grew higher, the main lodge finally collapsing inward with a great rumble, becoming nothing more than a pile of smoldering logs and ash._

_After several minutes of pounding Raz paused, panting as he gazed at the flames that had begun to recede at this point. They left nothing in their wake. The camp was nothing more than a smoldering, charred landscape now._

_And she was gone. Lili was gone._

"_...Lili..." he choked, pressing his forehead against the wall, the pane of glass warm from the flames surrounding it. With another anguished, dry sob the boy sunk to his knees, still beating his fist hopelessly against the glass. The fire that had destroyed Whispering Rock Summer Camp slowly began to die away, embers floating away into the clear night sky, the only other sounds coming from the crackling remains._

"Lili..."

**-Poor, poor Razputin...-**

_He jumped. "Who's there?" he asked, glancing around at the dying, smoldering landscape for the source of the voice._

**-My poor little murderer...-**

_His eyes widened and he shook his head violently. "I didn't kill them! I didn't do any of this! I didn't!" he insisted, his voice beginning to go hoarse from all the yelling._

_A low, terrible laugh._

**-Oh, but you did. This is all your fault, every last bit of it. You killed them all, every one of them.-**

"_Shut up! I didn't do it! I didn't!"_

**-Now now, lying will get you nowhere... especially to yourself.-**

"_I didn't! I didn't kill them! Shut up, shut up!"_

**-You foolish child...-**

_Raz grit his teeth, gripping at his head with gloved hands, his entire body spasming. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" he screamed._

_As his screams faded away, there was silence. The boy slowly began to sit up, blinking as he gazed around at the charred area. His brow furrowed as he slowly allowed his arms to fall back to his sides. He took a deep, shuddering breath._

_And then the world dropped out from beneath him._

_It was as if the ground beneath him had turned to liquid, leaving nothing to support him. The boy let out a cry as he suddenly sunk beneath the ground, reaching out desperately to grasp at anything to hold himself up. But no matter how much he clawed at the charred dirt around him he continued to sink, until at long last the smoldering camp was left behind him._

_He fell. He fell and fell through an endless black pit, the darkness reaching out to him. The wind whistled past his ears, sent his hair flying away from his face, limbs flailing wildly as he fell._

_And then he felt it snatch at his ankle, the hand he was so very familiar with, having seen it beckon at him so tauntingly from every body of water he got anywhere near. He felt the hand, that cold, slimy hand of fear, grab hold of him. For a moment he hung there in midair, feeling his stomach drop. And then it tugged him down._

_The water welcomed him into it's icy, cold embrace._

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

_First came the shock of the cold. It was impossibly cold in that water, like thousands of knives stabbing at his body. It was a cold that seized his breath, stopped his heart. Raz instantly stiffened in agony as the water burned, filling his nose and ears. It was like being encased in frigid ice, the water's icy fingers squeezing the warmth from him._

**-Can't you see? This is where you belong...-**

_Then came the panic. He flailed desperately, trying to pull himself up, but his clothes only seemed to drag him furthur, weighing him down. And then of course there was the hands, the touch of that damned curse, keeping its iron grip on him and pulling him deeper, tugging him downward to his fate. And no amount of fighting would free him, no amount of writhing and tugging and desperate cries that sent little bubbles of air free to float to the surface above would save him._

**-You foolish child...-**

_His lungs were burning as he fought to keep his lips sealed tight, fought to keep his last breath within him. But no, he needed air, and he couldn't have kept this in forever. It felt as if his insides were on fire, screaming for the oxygen he so needed, but there was none. Just water, water everywhere, swirling in his ears and chilling him to the bone._

**-Why do you fret?-**

_There was a voice whispering in his ears, saying things that seemed so familiar, but he had never heard them before in his life. Everything was fading, going fuzzy, the feel of the water, the liquid world around him, the burning in his lungs ...was this what it was like to die? No, he couldn't die here, he couldn't..._

**-It's only fitting that things come full circle this way, with the curse once again.-**

_Finally, instinct took over. He let out his breath, the precious air fleeing from his lips in a burst of bubbles, and--_

**-You can't escape fate, Aquato.-**

--

Razputin Aquato bolted awake, sitting up straight in a flurry of bed sheets. The teen sat upright, panting, his entire frame shaking as if he had just been plunged in ice water. His deep breaths echoed throughout the circus caravan, the only other sound being the heavy snore coming from his dad on the bunk across from him.

Soothed just a bit by the familiar surroundings, the boy sighed and reached up to run a hand through his reddish brown hair, which was soaked with cold sweat, pushing back his bangs from jade green eyes. There were dark circles beneath them, clear evidence that he had not slept well in some time. He gazed at the wall at the end of the alcove that held his bunk, not really focusing on the blank old wood.

"Another nightmare," he murmured, letting his hands fall back to his lap. "That's every night now for weeks..."

He shook his head as he twisted the sheets in his fists absently. "But I can't remember it. I know they're all the same... but I can't remember what actually happened," the boy gave another sigh and flopping back onto the bed. The old, beat-up mattress gave a loud squeak, his pillow now damp from his own sweat. He lay there for awhile... but he couldn't seem to close his eyes. He just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the old caravan creak every now and then.

In his six years as a fully-fledged Psychonaut, he had heard of cases like these, but he had never experienced it himself. Night after night of the same horrible nightmare, hinting at something that seemed just beyond his grasp once conscious. Now that he was the one enduring it, he had a new respect for the people he'd seen it happen to. He honestly hadn't been able to catch more than a few hours of sleep in the past few weeks.

"They weren't so bad at first, but now... it's like every time I close my eyes it happens..." he muttered, fists twisting in the sheets again. "It's like it's getting more urgent now."

What could he do? He didn't have any idea how to get rid of this, and it didn't seem to be getting any better. His dad was getting worried, but it wasn't as if he could help, his father had enough problems as it was... no, this was something Raz would have to deal with himself. He was a Psychonaut after all, he could handle it.

Perhaps he could just get himself to go back to sleep, he was so tired. Raz gave a sigh and squirmed under the covers. He forced himself to close his eyes, breathing deeply and trying to clear his mind.

It didn't work. He was wide awake, his mind abuzz with thoughts and guesswork. Finally after a few more minutes of trying the boy sat up again with a groan. "No, this definitely isn't going to work," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair again. "I need to figure this out... what was in the dream?"

The boy closed his eyes again, concentrating. He knew the memories were in there somewhere, he just couldn't find them. But maybe if he tried hard enough he could find something.

What did he remember? He could vaguely remember Lili... but she wasn't like the Lili he knew. She had been saying something to him... and whatever she had said hadn't been like her at all, but in the dream he never seemed to notice how un-Lili-like she acted.

Lili. The boy's thoughts trailed off, a faraway look in his eyes as he played absently with the old, frayed green friendship bracelet tied around his wrist. He still kept it, even after all this time. He never took it off. He didn't get to see her very often, sometimes when he went on Psychonauts missions and on the rare occasion that his circus was preforming in an area close enough that she could travel to it without much difficulty. She was, after all, Truman Zanotto's daughter. There were also those wonderful weeks at Whispering Rock Summer Camp, but they were both too old to be campers there anymore. Thus, for the most part their only contact was through letters and phone calls, something they both made a point of keeping up.

But lately... things had been different. She seemed a bit more distant in her letters and phone calls, and he would be lying if he said he was any different. No, something was definitely changing... in all of his six years together with her, Raz couldn't remember anything like this. Sure, it could be said that it was natural, their relationship could have just been considered "puppy love". After all, who knew who you truly loved at the age of ten? But it had been so long now... it didn't feel like it had just been puppy love... no, there had been more.

But why were things different now? What was changing?

It bothered him, it really did.

To add to this matter, there were these dreams with her, appearing as she had when they had met so long ago...what was that all about? And why did she act that way in his dream? It didn't make any sense.

And then there was the only other thing he seemed to remember about these dreams... a darkness, and a voice in his head. Neither could he quite place, but they both seemed so familiar for some reason. They actually reminded him rather vaguely of the times he had been pulled into the water and barely escaped...

There was a connection there, he knew it, he just couldn't place it. And then there was the sensation of danger, that something close and familiar to him was in grave danger and he had to do something, but he just couldn't seem to figure out anything beyond that!

He just had to figure it out... these nightmares had to mean something. But he just couldn't seem to grasp it!

Raz let out a hiss of frustration, raking his fingers through his hair. Why couldn't he remember!? There was something important about these dreams that he just wasn't getting! He had to figure it out, but he just couldn't seem to get it. It was as if the answers were all hidden behind a gray curtain, just beyond his grasp, and he just couldn't reach them! If only he could get in contact with Sasha or Ford or someone, but they were all at Whispering Rock and--

The teen's thoughts all suddenly skidded to a halt, jade eyes widening. He allowed his arms to drop to his sides. "...Whispering Rock. That's where it's taking place," he gasped. "That's what's in my nightmare."

He knew what he had to do.

With barely a sound Raz rolled off of his bunk, his stocking feet hitting the caravan floor with barely a thump. He then reached under the bunk for his trunk, which was marked with the words "R. Aquato" on the front in red. He tugged it open and rifled through his clothes, finally settling on a black turtleneck. Raz tugged it on without a word, the long sleeves extending to cover his palms, and he tugged on a pair of tight, dark blue jeans as well. He then knelt down to pull on his boots, lacing them up with slightly clumsy fingers.

Six years had definitely changed Raz's physique. The scrawny ten-year old boy who had snuck into Whispering Rock Summer Camp had grown into a tall, lanky teenager. He was still rather thin, though not incredibly muscular since he simply wasn't built that way, and he was still definitely in shape thanks to all those years as an acrobat. Of course, as he grew older he seemed to have adapted to Sasha Nein's choice in clothing style even more, a fact which often led to his father commenting that Raz really looked more like a younger version of Sasha than him.

Raz was okay with that. Sasha was cool, after all.

After pulling these on Raz snatched two items hanging from his bunk post, his old red-lensed aviator goggles and a light green scarf with darker green stripes. The goggles were something he could never get himself to give up, and the scarf had been a gift from Lili a few Christmas's back. He never left the caravan without both on unless it was for a show.

Raz gave a small smile as he wrapped the scarf around his neck, then reached up to adjust the goggles on his head, strands of reddish brown hair poking out from beneath them.Though you could still see a few traces of the child that had snuck into Whispering Rock, Raz had definitely grown up. Six years of being a Psychonaut did that, after all. He had experience now, and anyone who had doubted his abilties because of his age had long since been proven wrong.

But even after everything he had faced, even with all his experience, there was plenty of Razputin that hadn't changed. He was still, for the most part, the same headstrong, determined, confident and slightly oblivious kid. And Raz was okay with that, because he liked being himself. No matter what he went through, he didn't plan on changing. Not now, not ever.

No matter what the twisted, dream-version of his cynical girlfriend said.

The teen took a moment to dig through his backpack (yes, the same one he had used six years previous, with all his Whispering Rock merit badges still in place and lovingly cared for in spite of their age) and pull out a pad of paper and a pencil. He sat down on his bunk again and paused, thinking of what to write. Finally after a moment be began.

_Dad,_

_I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave for a while. Something's come up, and I need to go right away. Urgent Psychonauts business, you know how it is. Don't worry about me, I promise I'll be safe, and I'll call you when I get the chance._

He paused a moment, frowning. He supposed he wasn't technically lying, but he still felt bad not telling his dad where he was going. He always tried to give his dad as much information as possible regarding these things. But in this case he really couldn't risk his dad knowing where he was going. If whatever he was sensing in his dreams was as bad as it felt, he definitely had to make sure to keep everyone he cared for as far away as possible for the moment. He knew they could help, but, well... whatever was in his dreams, it was bad.

It was for their own safety. They'd understand, he hoped.

_Good luck with the show. I promise I'll be be back as soon as possible. Tell Lili she can reach me on my phone if--_

He paused again, frowning, then crossed that out. He wanted to tell Lili... he wanted to. But in his dreams... wasn't she always the one getting hurt? He could not tell Lili where he was going, because she was in more danger than his dad was. She was a powerful psychic, but he couldn't afford to take chances, and she if knew what was going on, she'd want to help.

_Tell Lili I'll be back soon if she shows up._

_Lo--_

Wait...he hadn't said that in years, why was he writing it now? He wasn't ten anymore. But... the boy shook his head and allowed himself a small smile as he scrawled down the final words and placed the note on his bunk.

_Love,_

_Raz._

With this task done he reached out to grab his tan leather trench coat and finger-less gloves. He tugged these objects on as he made his way for the doorway, grasping absently at his jean pocket. The boy paused, blinking, then glanced back at his trunk to spot the silvery, cell-phone like object with the Psychonauts insignia lying there. A soft orange glow came from the insignia, as the object was charged by his own psychic signature.

"Whoops, can't believe I nearly forgot that," Raz muttered, walking over to snatch up the communicator and stuff it into his pocket. "Sheesh, you've think after six years I'd learn..." he added as he made his way to the doorway again.

He pushed it open, then paused, glancing back. There lay his father, still fast asleep, a few old circus posters and pictures adorning the walls of his area, while Raz's was still covered in True Psychic Tales posters, a few of his old comic books still visible in a crate under his bunk. Moonlight streamed in front the little window into the tiny caravan, encompassing it in a soft, comforting blue glow.

It wasn't much, but it was home.

"I'll be back, dad. Later," Raz whispered, shouldering his backpack. He received a snore for a reply, bringing a smile to his face as he shut the door behind him.

--

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Welcome Back

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Two: Welcome Back**

**--**

_Well, you've made it to chapter two, so I assume that means you don't utterly loathe this fic... or else it's like a car crash and you're too horrified to look away. At any rate, welcome!_

_Once again, this chapter has been revised for your pleasure... or not, but I'm hoping you'll enjoy it. I've added some details, my beta reader and I fixed up the grammar and I even added some dialogue! It's been a bit busier than last chapter but I'd say for the most part I'm happy with the results. My biggest effort was to try to keep Oleander more in character... when I first started writing I really just did not want to have to write the poor coach, so I generally just tried to shove him out as much as possible. I think this time I've done a bit better with him and I hope you'll agree._

_This chapter has always been one of my favorites, it just feels very reminiscent of the game and lacks a lot of the seriousness of the later chapters. While I enjoy the seriousness and drama, it's also nice to write things like this since it helps to balance out everything that comes later... that and I just love writing Raz, really._

_Right, on to the chapter!_

_Suggested listening music is _Freshman _by _The Verve Pipe_, Track 2 on the soundtrack._

--

Six years had done little to change Whispering Rock Summer Camp. The birds still chirped brightly as they flitted from tree to tree, making a point of not getting within range of the telekinetic bears that were still lurking just about everywhere. The fish still swam about in the still semi-radioactive Lake Oblongata, though they were no longer quite so frightened of a certain Hulking Lungfish. The rickety doors of the kids cabins banged as the newly arrived campers swarmed in and out of them, haphazardly stowing away suitcases and backpacks with the sort of pent-up energy that comes after spending hours sitting still on a hard, plastic bus seat. Their childish laugher and shouts filled the air, still not quite able to drown out Janitor Cruller's cries of "GIT!"

"Well, there they are. Yet another little platoon of spoonbenders, fresh minds filled with untapped power, ready to learn to use it on the battlefield," Morceau "Morry" Oleander murmured as he gazed out of one of the windows in the counselor's lodge.

"So you say. Most of them will be more concerned with trying to set each other's hair on fire than actually bothering to tap that power," Sasha Nein stated from his spot at the table in the middle of the lounge, a thick book in hand.

"Oh, come now, Sasha darling, you don't know that," Milla Vodello admonished from across the table as she flipped through a fashion magazine.

The pale-faced scientist quirked a brow at her over his square-lensed sunglasses. "After seven years? Yes I do. This may be a government training facility, but most of the children are far more concerned with simply learning how to use their powers to play tricks on each other," His red-tinted nose wrinkled. "Ach, and burning child hair always smells the worst..."

He really wasn't sure why he still kept this job. He didn't really like children all that much, if at all, and they were usually terrified of him so the feeling was pretty mutual. Of course, he didn't really mind teaching them, passing on knowledge to the next generation was important, after all. The problem was most of them didn't really see that knowledge as more than another way to psychically torment their little friends. So why was he still here? He supposed it was because some children actually did show potential, and those that did weren't that hard to get into his lab (as long as Agent Vodello was kept in the dark over the matter), and his discoveries _had_proven useful. And some of those children weren't really _so_bad, but still...

"Sasha, it's a _summer camp,_" Milla pointed out as she brushed a few strands of dark brown hair behind her ear, her dangling earrings swinging back and forth from the motion. "The children are here to have fun and perhaps learn a few things. It's not Harvard!"

"Indeed. Harvard doesn't smell of burnt squirrel."

The Brazilian instructor shook her head, her full pink lips pursed into a pout. "Oh, come now. The smell isn't _that_ bad..."

"Using gaudy incense burners to try to cover it up does not help their case, Milla," Sasha stated as he sipped his coffee using telekinesis.

Milla's green eyes widened, then narrowed."They are not gaudy. You simply have no sense of style." She huffed, crossing her arms. "Honestly, Sasha, you need to understand that there are in fact colors beyond black, gray, and brown."

"There are? I never noticed," Sasha drawled sarcastically, looking back to his book.

"Well, they won't be burning each other this year. Unless they'd rather drop and give me twenty!" Oleander declared, spittle flying from his mouth as he spun around to shout dramatically. The effect was ruined by the stool that he needed to see out the windows in the counselors lounge, but no one was stupid enough to comment on that.

Milla glared at him. "It's not boot camp either, _Morry,_" She stated firmly. "Honestly, couldn't you at least _try_ to be a bit kinder this year? Less yelling? They're only children, after all."

"Less yelling?" Oelander repeated, his brow furrowing. "What, you think the enemy's going to nicely try to talk things out with them? I'm preparing them for war, Agent Vodello! WAR!" He yelled, waving around his baton.

Milla opened her mouth to reply, then thought better of it and shook her head. "Oh, never mind. Honestly, the two of you are both such party killers."

"There is no time for partying in war, soldier!" Oleander declared. Sasha didn't even bother responding, he was too wrapped up in his book.

"It's no use trying, Milla. They're always like that and you know it. You all never change,' A voice suddenly piped up from behind them all with a laugh.

Three sets of eyes darted around the room as the trio tensed, each already almost in position to attack before their sight settled on the far wall. There stood Raz, leaning next to a framed photo of the lake, a smug grin on his face as he pushed his goggles up onto the top of his head.

The three Psychonauts stood there for a moment, slightly dumbfounded. Finally after a moment Sasha found his voice.

"...Razputin?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Razputin?" Milla repeated, allowing her hand to fall to it's side from where she had placed it against her head.

Raz raised a gloved hand in greeting. "Afternoon, Agent's Nein, Oleander, Vodello." He said, nodding to each one in turn. His attempt at sounding official and serious didn't come off quite the way he wanted, given the fact that he couldn't seem to keep the grin off his face. "Long time no see!"

Oleander's shoulders slumped and he slapped his forehead with a gloved palm "Raz," he groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you? You don't _have_ to sneak in here past security every time you come anymore! You can just come in through the gate! You know, like everyone else!?"

"Oh, I know. I just like this way better," Raz said, his smugness over being able to get past the Whispering Rock security system yet again clear in his voice. He placed his hands on his hips as he glanced around. "So this is the counselor's lounge, eh? Don't think I've ever been here before. Interesting," He prodded at one of the little Psitanium carvings set on a bookcase as he spoke.

Milla sighed and shook her head, reaching up to massage her temples. In spite of her oncoming headache, she was smiling. She had seen this boy grow up over the past six years, and even after all this time he certainly didn't seem to have changed all that much. "Razputin, it's good to see you again. But tell us, darling, why are you here?"

"Huh?" Raz glanced up from his inspection of a slightly dusty portrait of a younger Ford Cruller.

"She wants to know why you're here, Raz. You're too old to be a camper anymore, and even then you're already a Psychonaut anyway! So what's with the sudden visit, soldier?" Oleander asked, folding his arms before him as his grizzled face sunk into a frown.

"Oh... um..." The sixteen-year old trailed off, frowning. What was he supposed to say? 'Oh hey guys, I'm here because I keep dreaming about something bad happening to this camp, don't mind me'? Admittedly, now that he was here it did seem a bit crazy...

Raz gave a small, nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "Just visiting? For old times sake?"

Oleander, Sasha, and Milla all just simply stared at him.

The sixteen-year old's laughter trailed off and he gave a sigh. "Right." He said, his back straightening slightly and eyes narrowing as he went into "business mode". "Look, I'm not even sure I can properly explain it. But I came because for the past few weeks I've been having... um... nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Oleander snorted, raising a brow. "Come on soldier, I thought you were tougher than that!"

"Morry!" Milla's voice had a scolding tone.

Raz winced. Jeez, just hearing Oleander say it like that made it seem ever crazier.. So he'd been having nightmares? So what? But his first adventure had already taught him he should never disregard dreams. "Well, yeah, but... these are different..."

"You believe they may be premonitions, then? Such as perhaps with the incident that happened six years ago at Whispering Rock?" Sasha asked, quirking a brow. He was clearly in all business mode, his scientific mind already cranking into gear.

The teen frowned. "Er, well... that is... I don't..."

"Oh, honestly you two!" Milla admonished. "Give him time to relax and tell the story before you start bombarding him with questions!" She moved towards Raz and smiled gently, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Come now darling, why don't you sit down? You must be exhausted after your trip. You can tell us the story then... with no interruptions," She added, shooting her companions a glare. Oleander grumbled whereas Sasha merely quirked a brow at her.

Raz gave a grateful smile as she lead him towards the table. "Thanks, Agent Vodello--"

"Milla, darling. Just Milla, we're not on a mission now, hm?" The woman winked at him.

Raz gave a small chuckle as he took a seat. "Sorry... thanks, Milla."

"Would you like anything to drink?" She asked as she made her way towards the kitchen.

"Uh, coffee, thanks," Raz said as he eyed Sasha's mug with a hint of longing. "With sugar, please."

Sasha quirked a brow at him as he took his original seat back, sipping his now slightly cooled drink. "Coffee? What happened to the tooth rotting soda addiction?" He asked as Milla shuffled around cabinets behind them.

The teen gave a small chuckle as he recalled the years spent desperately seeking out a vending machine "Well, times change... and I really, really have needed the extra caffeine lately." He said, propping an elbow on the table and leaning heavily on a gloved palm.

"Ah. I am not sure if I should be approving this out of the interest of your poor dentist or if I should be saying something about it being a bad habit," Sasha drawled.

"_You_ drink it," Raz pointed out.

"I am in my thirties, drink and smoke. I am allowed to make choices that may be bad for my health," The scientist stated.

Oleander snorted. "Sasha's allowed to make all the stupid decisions he wants. Besides, don't you know that stunts your growth, maggot?" He grunted as he took his own seat. Both Raz and Sasha locked eyes at that, then immediately looked away as they both fought very, very hard not to laugh. The coach scowled as he realized what he had said. "Oh, shut up, both of you!"

"Now, now, no fighting, and that means all of you," Milla said as she returned, pressing a steaming mug into Raz's hands. "There you go, sweetie."

Raz nodded in thanks as he took the cup, taking a sip. Once he was finished he glanced up to see all three older agents gazing at him intently and he flashed a nervous grin. "Er..." He mumbled, feeling a bit like he was under a microscope.

Sasha leaned back in his chair. "Well, now that you have your caffeine... what was this about nightmares?"

"Oh... right," The teen sighed, shoulders slumping as he gazed at his reflection in the steaming liquid. He had almost forgotten. To be honest, he almost didn't want to tell them. He wanted nothing more than to just sit there and laugh like old times... but no, he was here for a reason. Even then, he wished he didn't have to tell them. It wasn't that he didn't trust them... but these dreams gave him a bad feeling, one that said he shouldn't let anyone get involved or they'd get hurt. That meant Oleander, Sasha, Milla... everyone.

Unfortunately, for the moment, he didn't have a choice. He'd just have to tell them and take only as much help as he needed to hurry and get this solved before anyone got hurt.

"Yeah... so... um, I've been having nightmares. The very similar ones, every night. I can't actually _remember_ what's in them, but they never seem to go away no matter what I do. They weren't so bad at first, but lately I can't even close my eyes without having one," The boy explained, raking his fingers through short, reddish brown hair as he spoke. His previous energy seemed to have drained away, leaving him looking exhausted. From far away, when Raz was acting with the energy and excitement he usually did, there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, but up close the shadows beneath his jade green eyes were clearly visible.

"Oh my... darling, that's terrible," Milla murmured, sounding concerned as she leaned forward. "I thought you were looking a bit pale, but I didn't know--"

Raz shook his head, flashing a smile. "Don't worry Milla, I'm fine. I'm just tired, it's nothing I can't handle," He stated. "Anyway... I can't actually remember what happens in any of the dreams...but something in them seems familiar somehow."

"Familiar?" Sasha repeated, brow furrowing. He seemed to be going into "science" mode again. "Familiar as in?"

"Well actually... it reminds me a bit of... er... you know, the curse." Raz trailed off, biting his lip. Milla and Sasha were two of the few people he had actually told about his family's "problem", and that was because it had come up during a mission. He had quite nearly drowned that time. And of course, Oleander knew better than any of them, having had his mind tangled with Razputin's so many years ago.

Sasha nodded. "I see," He simply said. "Anything else?"

Raz frowned, jade green eyes darkening slightly as he tried to remember. "I'm not sure... but I do know that it seemed familiar. And whatever it was, it was bad. Really, really bad."

Oleander scowled, apparently annoyed at the lack of information. "Okay, okay, whatever, so you can't remember your dreams but you know there's something bad in them! That still doesn't explain why you're here!" He growled.

"Yes it does," Raz said quietly. "Because I may not remember much, but I do remember one thing. They always take place here. And something very, very bad happens."

Silence for a few seconds.

"Here? At Whispering Rock? Darling, are you sure?" Milla finally asked, blinking.

Raz nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I don't know what happens, but it's something bad," He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and rubbing his forehead, suddenly appearing as if he had weathered much more than a simple sixteen years. "I'm not sure what it means... but I'm going to find out. I have to. So that's why I'm here, to find out what these nightmares mean and try to stop them."

Raz let his hands fall back to the tabletop, gazing at his former counselors. "So, yeah, that's it." He said with a small, tired smile. "I promise I won't be any trouble or anything, and I'll stay out of you guys' way. I just have to find out what these dreams mean."

"So... can I stay?" He finally asked, his smile turning into a hopeful grin.

Oleander, Sasha, and Milla stared at him for a moment, then all glanced at each other. Finally, Oleander grinned, though it wasn't exactly a _nice_grin.

"Sure, kid. You can stay as long as you'd like... however, I've got one condition..."

--

"...And on that note, allow to to introduce our secret, surprise special guest! I'm sure you've read all about him in True Psychic Tales Magazine, and he'll be joining us this summer as your new counselor! So please give a warm welcome to the World's Youngest Psychonaut, Agent Razputin Aquato!" Oleander's voice boomed into the night.

Raz swallowed, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. When he had imagined his return to Whispering Rock, this wasn't what he had been expecting. At all. However, that didn't change the fact that he was stuck in this situation now, and he'd just have to deal with it. He took a quick glance at Sasha and Milla, forced his most charming smile, and stepped up onto the hollowed out tree stump that made the Whispering Rock Podium.

He had been up here purposefully in front of an audience only once before, and that had been six years ago, when, under the awed stares of his fellow campers and the pride-filled gaze of his father, he had been made a Psychonaut. And now as he stood here once again that memory came flooding back, along with his own memorable first night. He remembered sitting up in the trees, watching Sasha, Milla, and Oleander on that podium with barely contained awe, stars shining in his eyes as he hoped for the day when he too may be able to stand up there before the eyes of young psi-cadets.

Well, now here Raz was. And it was everything he dreamed of, and at the same time it was something he had never expected. Sure, he knew he was famous, he had been in True Psychic Tales magazine many times now after all, but to see all those campers sitting there in front of the campfire, their eyes filled with the same awe and admiration that he remembered when he was in their position... well, it was something else. Granted, not all the campers were amazed. Some looked only mildly interested, but even so...

And they were all so tiny! '_Was I really ever that short?' _thought as his gaze swept across the campers. The tallest of them would probably only reach his chest if they were lucky, and he was pretty sure that was only because the kid had a rather admirable 'fro.

Raz finally stopped at Oleander's side, glanced at all the campers once more, and then took a deep breath, as if he were about to make some great, dramatic speech. He raised a hand and opened his mouth to speak...

"Hey guys. Um... how's it going?" Raz asked, giving a small wave.

Silence for a few seconds. Crickets chirped.

Finally Oleander elbowed him in the ribs. "Come on maggot, you gotta give 'em more than that!" He hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"Oh. Right, okay," Raz felt his cheeks go slightly pink and he turned back to the campers, still managing to keep his grin in place. He could handle a crowd just fine, he was a circus performer after all! He looked back to the campers and took a deep breath. "My name... is Razputin! But everyone calls me..." He paused for suspenseful effect, making a point of making eye contact with each camper.

"Raz."

Silence for another few seconds. Then the kids all promptly erupted in cheers. Raz leaned back on his heels and folded his arms before him, giving a satisfied grin. That line was always an instant crowd-pleaser. Or else they were all just very, very happy he didn't take ten minutes like Oleander had. Either way, it worked.

Through the cheering Raz spotted one lone kid who had raised his hand. Raz blinked, then pointed at him. "Yes?"

The cheers died down as the camper took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to speak. "Um, um... Mister Raz, sir... is it true that you got all your merit badges here in one day?" He asked timidly.

The teen blinked, then nodded. "Yup! Got all my merit badges in a full twenty-four hours. That was one heck of an all-nighter!" He said, puffing out his chest.

Another hand flew up. "Is it really true that six years ago you came to this camp and you saved all your friends' brains all by yourself?"

"Yup! Every last one of em." Raz said proudly.

"Oh! Agent Raz! Agent Raz! Did you really become a Psychonaut right here, just like True Psychic Tales says?" Another kid spoke up, waving his arm wildly in the air.

"Mm-hmm!" Raz said with a nod.

"And is it true that you're actually gay and you and Sasha Nein were in a tragic relationship that had to be hidden from the public eye because your love was forbidden?" A girl suddenly piped up.

"Yea--" Raz suddenly blinked as he realized what had been asked. He made a face. "EW! No! Where did you hear that?"

"Um... the internet. And everyone knows it can't lie." The girl said shyly.

"Well, here's news for you, it _can _lie and that's proof for you right there!"

The other campers all began talking at once, each waving their hands in the air and shouting. Their questions and comments all blurred together into a haze of babble.

"Is it true that you're from the circus?"

"Have you really wrestled twenty telekinetic bears at once and won?"

"Have you really met Truman Zanotto in person? What's he like?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Raz took step back and waved his hands in an attempt to get them to stop. "Okay, okay, one at a--"

"QUIET!" Oleander suddenly roared, effectively silencing the questions and getting the full attention of the now terrified campers. "Settle down! There will be plenty of time to question Raz here later." He snapped. Raz gave a nervous laugh and scratched his head.

"Eheh... right, sorry Coach. Anyway..." He glanced back to the campers, whom were all watching him again with rapt attention. "You all know why you're here. You were born with a special gift... and now you finally have a chance to use it to be something. That's what I told myself when I came here, anyway. So now here's what I'm going to tell you... there may not be any world crisis right at this second. There's probably not gonna be a situation where all your friends' brains get stolen and you have to save the day. But you know what? That doesn't matter. If you try hard enough here, you can do anything. Even the impossible, like getting all your merit badges in one day and becoming a Psychonaut at the age of ten."

Raz sighed and reached up to adjust his goggles. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... well, here you have a chance to be somebody. So just work hard and someday maybe you could be a Psychonaut too, you know?" He then paused a moment, a heavy silence falling over the campfire.

"But of course, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy why you're all _really_here, right? You all just wanna learn how to throw things at people and burn stuff!" Raz stated with a grin. A unanimous cheer came from the entire camp, even louder than the first two cheers, and he simply grinned wider.

"Alright, alright, yeah, yeah, burning things, whatever. Your introduction's over!" Oleander said quickly, stepping in front of Raz. He glanced over his shoulder back at the boy, eyes narrowing as if to say _'Damnit kid, every year! Stop stealing my show!' _"Let's hear it for Raz, everybody!"

Once again the campers cheered and applauded, which Raz responded to by simply giving a grin and a quick wave before heading off the podium. Sure, this hadn't been what he had been expecting when he came to the camp... but it was pretty cool to be on the other side of things. He could get used to this.

He finally stopped next to Milla and Sasha, and collapsed against a tree trunk with a sigh. "Wow..." He murmured, still a bit giddy from the sudden rush.

Milla giggled. "It is a bit strange when you first see them, hm?" She asked.

Raz laughed. "Yeah. They all looked at me... like I was some sort of hero." He said, a smile spreading across his face as he gazed up through the tree branches at the stars. "It's the sort of thing I only dreamed of when I came here..."

The older Psychonauts shared a glance for a moment, then looked to the campfire as Oleander began speaking again. That was their signal to all take the podium again. Milla chuckled. "He's always so dramatic... come along, darling. That's our cue." She said, glancing back at Raz before heading towards the podium.

Sasha followed suit, patting Raz on the shoulder as he passed. Raz blinked, glancing at the older Psychonaut questioningly, earning a rare smile from the man.

"Welcome back to Whispering Rock, Agent Aquato."

Raz blinked for a moment, then found himself grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks. It's good to be back."

--

"So... he made it there. Took him long enough." A voice murmured in the dark.

A swishing sound, like fingers tracing lightly over the surface of a pool of water.

"Honestly... I would have expected an Aquato to be more perceptive... ah well, it can't be helped, I suppose."

Damp fingers reached up to brush long, blond locks out of frigid, sapphire blue eyes, a few droplets of water flinging into the air with the motion. However, instead of falling, the water droplets hung in midair, simply floating there.

"It did give me more time to work out my preparations anyway... a proper game has to be set up first, after all."

The water droplets combined into a single pristine sphere of water, clear and perfect, which hovered above the small pool.

"But the time for preparations is over now. The board is set, and it is time to start moving my pieces."

The singular droplet slowly began to lose its shape, slowly lengthening as if it were clay being manipulated by a skilled potter's hands. After a few moments the droplet had formed into a chess piece, a queen.

"The game is set, Razputin."

A hand reached out to take the chess piece, pale fingers closing around it gingerly. Though it was made out of water, it retained its shape as though it were glass.

"But I wonder... how long will it take you to figure it out that you're not the one playing?"

The hand that was wrapped around the chess piece suddenly clenched into a fist, causing the figure to lose its shape and become liquid once again. Water shot out of the clenched fist and splashed back into the pool it came from, the sound ringing through the air.

All lapsed into silence once again.

--

"So... where do I sleep?" Raz asked as he followed Sasha and Milla back to the counselors lounge. They had just finished getting all the campers settled into their bunks and making sure none were missing. They left Oleander to do his usual rounds of bursting in and yelling at all the kids who were already nearly asleep by himself.

"Well, each counselor gets their own room, they're all connected to the main lounge. We have a few spares, so you'll be sleeping in one of those." Milla explained as they stepped through the door.

"I get my own room? Awesome!" The teen cheered, punching a fist in the air. He had every right to be excited, he honestly could not remember a time when he hadn't shared sleeping quarters with someone else.

Sasha didn't even bother with saying anything, he simply walked past both of them to the little mini kitchen that made up a corner of the lounge and set to work on making coffee.

"Coffee? At this hour?" Milla asked, hands going to her hips. "Sasha, don't tell me you're planning on spending the night in your lab again."

Sasha glanced back at her, quirking a brow. "I'm only going to be a few hours. There are some things I need to take care of."

Milla huffed. "Sasha darling, whatever they are, they can wait until tomorrow. You need your rest!"

"Oooh, are these somethings top secret experiment type somethings?" Raz asked, eyes widening.

Sasha stared at Raz's excited face for a few moments. Finally, he spoke. "Yes."

"Awesome! Can I help?" Raz asked.

"No, because Sasha is going to get some rest, just like you are." Milla stated, glaring at him. "We all have a big day ahead of us."

Sasha simply rose a brow at her. Raz shook his head. "Milla, come on! I'm not ten anymore!" He cried, crossing his arms as his lower lip stuck out in what looked suspiciously like a pout.

He really didn't want to go to sleep yet. Not only did he really want to see what Sasha had been up to, but he knew the sooner he went to bed, the sooner he was likely to encounter his nightmare again. He may not have been able to remember what was in them, but he knew he definitely didn't want to revisit whatever was in them so soon.

Milla frowned. "Maybe not, but you said so yourself that you haven't been getting much sleep lately. You could use it and you know it, Razputin."

Raz huffed. "I'm fine, really! I'm not t--" He was cut off, however, by a very large, very loud, jaw-cracking yawn. Once it was gone he blinked, then glared at Milla and Sasha's skeptical expressions. "Okay, that didn't mean _anything_."

Milla shook her head. "Come on now, darling. Time for you to get some rest." She said, motioning towards one of the doors that led to an unused room.

"But..." Raz trailed off, glancing back to Sasha. He _really _wanted to see what Sasha had been up to lately._ 'Come on Sasha, say something!' _mentally pleaded.

"I agree with Agent Vodello on this, Razputin. You seem like you could definitely use some sleep." Sasha spoke up as the coffee pot began brewing behind him. A ghost of a smirk came to his face as Raz shot him a betrayed look. '_It's for your own good, Raz. Do not worry, I promise I'll let you see everything tomorrow. But for now we can't have you passing out and breaking anything, now can we?'_

The boy blinked, considering this. Finally he sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. It seemed there was no way he was getting out of this one. "Alright, alright. Sheesh. I'll try and sleep." He flashed the older Psychonauts a tired grin as he raked his fingers through his hair. "Honestly, the two of you..."

Milla smiled warmly. "Good. You can take either the room on the far right or far left, they're both empty. Now off you go, shoo!" She said, giving him a very light push with telekinesis.

Raz stumbled forward a bit, then nodded. He turned and made as if to head for the one on the left, but then paused. "What about you two?" He asked, glancing back at Milla and Sasha.

"Don't worry darling, I'll be going to bed right after you, and Sasha--" Here Milla paused to glare pointedly at the German Psychonaut, who didn't so much as flinch. "--Will be going to bed shortly after, won't you Sasha?"

Sasha frowned. "Agent Vodello, I'm not--"

Milla's glare intensified.

"...Yes, of course. Sleep. Very soon." Sasha said dully, turning back to his coffee.

Milla smiled sweetly, then turned back to Raz. "So don't worry. Now go on, you need your rest, sweetie."

Raz sighed, then nodded and smiled. "Yeah, alright." He said, then turned and headed for his room.

After about five steps he realized he must have been much more exhausted than he thought, as his limbs suddenly felt like lead.

Another step, and he found he was feeling slightly dizzy as well, his stomach feeling like it was doing flip-flops. He blinked, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, and tried to take another step.

A burst of light flashed before his eyes, and suddenly he was no longer in the counselors lounge. He was under the water again, the cold, slimy hand wrapped around his ankle pulling him under. The frigid liquid closed in around him, crushing him in its mighty fist, coaxing his air from his lungs. He let out a cry, the bubbles that made up his last bit of air escaping from his lips as he was pulled deeper, and--

A second burst of light brought him back to the lounge. Raz blinked, then stumbled. "What the--?" He gasped, jade eyes widening. He clutched at his head with shaking fingers, the entire room spinning.

**-Razputin...-**

He could feel it, the cold water rushing around him, wrapping him in its frigid embrace, causing his entire skin to erupt in goosebumps

**-Razputin...-**

"Ah!" Raz shuddered as he sunk to his knees, still clutching at his head. He could see it everywhere, the swirling dark depths, everywhere, his family's grave for all of eternity...

**-Foolish boy...-**

He only distantly heard Sasha and Milla calling out his name, their voices nearly drowned out by the sound of rushing water filling his ears. It was everywhere, everywhere, crushing him, killing him...

**-Stop running from me...-**

Finally Raz's body suddenly went completely rigid and he knelt there for a moment, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Then his jade green eyes fluttered closed and with a groan he collapsed, unconscious.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Dun dun dun!_

_Every time someone reads this chapter and doesn't review, a puppy dies. Please, think of the puppies._


	3. The Door

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Three: The Door**

**--**

_You know, it's funny. When I first wrote this chapter I was amazed it ended up being 18 pages. Now, were I to write a chapter that was only 18 chapters long, I'd feel like I clearly messed up and needed to go back and add a ton of things so the size is my usual twenty-something pages. Funny how things like this change, hm?_

_At any rate, this is another chapter I really enjoyed writing. Foreshadowing and such is incredibly fun, and I always love writing Ford Cruller. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have._

_Suggested listening music is again _Cursum Perficio _for the first scene (Track 1) and the scenes in Raz's mind, followed by _Through the Glass _by _Stone Sour_ (Track 6)._

_--_

_He was running._

_He didn't know who or what it was he was running to or from, but he was running. And he had to keep running, because he knew if he stopped __it__ would get him. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was bad, something great and terrible._

_So he ran. He ran and he ran and he ran, tree branches slapping against his face as he rushed past, tripping over roots and brush and stones in the dark. The stars overhead rushed past he continued to run, panicked, his breath coming out in short, hot puffs._

_Finally he stumbled out of the woods and onto the beach, his feet nearly slipping out from under him in the sand. There, standing at the end of the docks, was Lili, her back to him, long pigtails blowing back in the chilly night breeze. Lake Oblongata shimmered in the night, the pale white face of the moon reflecting off of the water's surface._

"_Lili!" Raz called out, catching her attention. She turned to him, amber eyes meeting his, confused._

"_Raz?"_

"_Lili! You have to run, it's coming!" He cried, his voice echoing through the night. "Run! Before it gets you!"_

_She frowned, brow furrowing. "It's coming? What are you talking about, Raz?"_

_Raz shook his head. "I don't have time to explain. Come on, we have to go!" He held out his hand to her, eyes pleading. "Please Lili, come on! Get away from there!"_

_Lili stared at him for a moment, lips pursed. "Raz... why should I listen to you? This could just be another lie."_

"_A lie?" Raz repeated, blinking. "What are you talking about?"_

"_You always lie. You didn't used to but now you do. Why do you keep lying to me, Raz?" She asked, her expression one of hurt._

_Raz's brow furrowed. "Lie? I haven't lied to you."_

"_But you have! You have for a long time now," Lili stated, hands clenching into fists at her sides._

"_No I haven't! Look, Lili, we don't have time for this! We have to go, come on!" Raz pleaded. He didn't know why, but he knew he had to get Lili away from that lake. He just had to!_

"_Liar!" Lili hissed._

_Raz let out a groan of frustration. "Lili! Please! Come on, just listen to me for once and let's go! Please!"_

_She stared at him for a moment, amber eyes cold. "Liar. If you keep lying like this, you won't be able to save me."_

_And then it came._

_The waters of Lake Oblongata seemed to spring to life, exploding upwards. They swirled, twisting and forming into a raging whirlpool. Raz watched in horror as the waters dipped down to the bottom of the lake, then slowly began to swirl upward, a cyclone of dark water that reached towards the sky. It twisted and turned, howling whispers of an ancient curse to the stars, tendrils of deep blue slowly curling to become the hand of fear Raz knew so well._

_It floated in midair, poised for but a moment over Lili's small frame. The young girl didn't seem to notice, her accusing eyes were still focused on Raz, her hair whipping in the wind._

"_Liar," She hissed._

_The hand swooped down and in one swift motion pulled her down into the depths of Lake Oblongata._

_Raz let out a cry, rushing to the ends of the dock, boots slipping on damp wood. "Lili!" He called out, falling to his knees at the edge of the planks._

_She was struggling, splashing water everywhere as she fought the water's icy grip. Her wet, dark bangs stuck to her forehead, her pigtails floating ethereally around her. She was struggling, fighting, but her clothes were already soaked and dragging her down._

_She was losing. She was drowning._

"_Raz! Raz, save me!" She pleaded, amber eyes meeting jade._

_Raz hung over the edge of the dock, panicked. "Lili! Hang on, I'll--"_

**-Do what? You can't swim. You can't so much as touch that water, or you'll meet the same fate as her.-**

_The boy grit his teeth, glancing around desperately for something, anything he could use. But no, there was nothing. Just him, and he couldn't swim._

"_Raz! Help me!" She was sinking, desperately reaching out for him, grasping, her eyes pleading._

**-Look at her. Pathetic, isn't it? Not much more pathetic than you, though. You want to save her, but you can't.-**

"_Don't worry, I will!" Raz gasped, finally looking back to her. He made a wild grab for her, his fingers only just barely catching hers. However, her hands were cold and wet, and mere seconds after he caught her he lost his grip and she slipped beneath the waves._

"_Lili!" Raz cried, panicked. A few seconds later she managed to break the surface again, coughing and hacking._

"_Raz! Come on!" She pleaded, nearly crying now, her face pale and wet. "What are you waiting for? Help me!"_

"_I... I... Lili, just hang on a sec! I'll save you! I will!" Raz insisted, partially to reassure himself._

**-Fool. This is how it has to be. You're only lying to yourself, you know that's not true. She was right to call you a liar.-**

"_No, I'm not... I'll save her, I will..."_

"_Raz!" Lili shrieked as she ducked under again, coming up sputtering and gasping for air. "Just jump in and save me! PLEASE!"_

_Raz flinched. "I... I can't do that." He admitted, voice so quiet he could barely hear himself._

**-That's right. You can't.-**

"_RAZ! Why won't you save me?" She sputtered._

"_I will! I will! Just hang on, please! Don't die, I promise I'll save you, I promise!" Raz gasped, nearly crying himself now._

_She froze for a moment. "...You're not going to save me, are you? You can jump in, but you won't."_

"_No, that's not it! I really can't do that! But I'll find another way, just hang on!" The boy pleaded._

**-Please, just stop trying to fool yourself. It's not working. There's nothing you can do.-**

_She stared at him, eyes narrowing. "You're lying." She whispered, short of breath, clearly lacking the strength to struggle any more._

_Raz's eyes widened. "No, I'm not! I―"_

"_You're a liar, Raz. And because of that I'm going to die."_

"_No! Lili, I--"_

_At last, it seemed she had completely run out of strength. She went limp, slowly beginning to sink away. "Liar," She gasped._

_And then with a sputtering, wet cough she slipped beneath the surface._

"_No! Lili!" Raz cried, reaching out once again. But even then, he knew it was useless. All he could do was watch as the last few bubbles floated to the surface, and then there was nothing._

_He knelt there in shock for a moment, unable to believe it. Finally after a minute or so he shivered. "No... no..."He moaned, beating a gloved fist against the waterlogged dock._

**-Well, what do you know? She's dead, and it's all your fault.-**

"_No... no, it's not, I couldn't do anything..." Raz whispered as he stared down at the water, watching his reflection._

**-Really now? Is that true, or are you just lying again?-**

"_Shut up. I'm not lying."_

**-You could have done something, but you didn't.-**

"_No..."_

**-You could have saved her, but you didn't.-**

"_No..."_

**-You killed her, Razputin. It's all your fault.-**

"_AUGH! No it's not! You're lying, you're lying!" He screamed, beating his fists against the cold dock, sending small specks of water from various puddles flying._

"_It's true, Raz."_

_Her voice was distorted, warped, as if she were speaking from underwater, but he would know it anywhere. He spun around to face it's source, and his eyes widened in horror._

_Lili stood behind him, face paler than the moon. She had the same bloated look all drowned people possessed, her long brown pigtails matted, seaweed tangled within them like slimy green ribbons. The worst part were her eyes, though, dark amber depths with no hint of life left within them._

**-Look at her, Razputin. You did this to her. This is all your fault.-**

"_Lili..." Raz gasped, taking a step back._

"_Don't talk to me like that, Raz. You're the one who killed me," She hissed, water dribbling from her mouth as she spoke._

_Laughter. Terrible laughter._

**-She speaks the truth, you know.-**

_Raz shook his head. "Lili, I wanted to save you. I did. You have to believe me..."_

"_Liar."_

"_Lili--"_

**-Oh, stop denying it, you foolish child. You know she speaks the truth.-**

_She reached up with sluggish movement, as if hundreds of gallons of water were weighing her down, her dead eyes fixated on Raz's._

"_Murderer."_

_With that, she shoved Raz into death's cold, watery embrace._

**-This is your fate, Razputin. Stop pretending.-**

--

Raz awoke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. The moment he did, he wished he didn't, as the light took no prisoners when it came to assaulting his eyes. The teen let out a loud groan and shut his eyes again for a moment His head felt as if he were taking a permanent spin in the brain tumbler, his body as if he had taken another hit from El Odio, and an attempt at swallowing revealed his mouth to be insanely dry. After a few seconds the teen allowed himself to crack open his eyes again, then slowly sat up as he began to take in his surroundings.

He was currently situated in a rather comfortable bed, warm green covers tucked very carefully over him (or at least he assumed they had been before he had quite suddenly jolted awake). A desk was placed against the far corner, his old, raggedy backpack having been slung over the corner of the chair next to it. His boots had been placed near the doorway some distance away, the wooden floor beneath them looking a bit beat up, but clean for the most part.

It was a small room, but it had a nice, comfortable feel to it. Raz frowned, his brow furrowing. It was nice, but how had he gotten here?

After a few moments the previous nights events all came flooding back. Oleander conning him into becoming a counselor at Whispering Rock, the campfire, Milla's gentle prodding for him to go to bed, and finally the hazy blur that had lead to what he assumed had been him passing out.

And after that had of course come another nightmare, the memories of which seemed just beyond his grasp.

Raz sighed, covering his face with his hands. He supposed he should be slightly thankful, judging from the morning sunlight that peeked in through his window he had been out for the entire night, which had become a rarity now-a-days. But he didn't feel any more rested... in fact, he felt even more exhausted than usual.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful," The boy muttered to no one in particular. Well, fortunately he didn't have a class to teach yet, so at least he didn't have to worry about missing that. After laying there for another few seconds Raz rolled out of bed. Once he was awake he could never seem to let himself just lay around for long, it drove him nuts. Besides, it wasn't as if going back to sleep would do him any good anyway.

The teen raked his fingers through his now messier-than-usual hair, and then took a moment to search for his goggles. He finally spotted them on the bedside table, the red lenses gleaming in the sun's rays. Raz reached out to grab them and tugged them on, pausing only when he noticed the slip of paper that had been placed beneath the goggles. He frowned, taking the note, easily able to recognize Sasha's tiny, slightly untidy by methodical scrawl.

_Razputin--_

_Meet me in the lab once you are ready. I believe we may be able to find a way to work out these nightmares of yours._

_Sasha_

Beneath that, in Milla's much larger and fancier but neater cursive, was a second message.

_Also darling, I know you tend to be in a rush, but do be sure to have a good breakfast! There's plenty of food in the kitchen, make sure you eat something! I'll be down at the docks if you need anything, alright?_

_Have a nice day!_

_Milla_

Raz chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Honestly, they were both so different... but it was nice to know they cared.

He folded the note and shoved it into his pocket, then glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. Ten AM... that would mean Sasha was in the middle of class at the moment. Oh well, at least it gave him time to eat something, he supposed.

The teen made his way towards the door, giving a jaw-cracking yawn and wincing as it sent another sharp pain lacing through his skull.

Right, something to eat, as well as an aspirin and some coffee. Definitely time for some coffee.

--

The ride on the Whispering Rock Transit System was considerably smoother than what Raz remembered. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that he was no longer too small to properly fit in the seat, but that was a minor, unimportant detail.

Of course, in this case 'smoother' meant 'only slightly less shaky than trying to levitate in a hurricane', and the jerky stop was worse than that. Raz let out a small yelp as his momentum sent him straining against his seatbelt when the car suddenly stopped. He only just managed to steady the items in his hands with telekinesis, then sent a silent thank you skyward for the powers that had just saved him from a lap full of hot coffee.

After unstrapping himself from the car the teen levitated upwards and through a familiar tree stump. His boots made a metallic thunk as he set himself down gently upon the greenish metal path that lead to the center of a certain Ford Cruller's sanctuary. The boy began to walk down towards the center, though he began to slow as his focus fell upon one of the rotating holographic television screens in the air.

Scenes of a torn apart suburban neighborhood flashed across the screen. Cars were overturned in the streets, stacked on top of each other in messes of twisted metal and gears. Windows were smashed, glass littering lawns along with splintered, fallen trees. Entire walls were blown out, the dusty remains of cheap dry wall coating the inside of completely decimated living rooms. It looked as if a tornado had run through the neighborhood, leaving little intact in it's wake.

Or at least, that's how it would look to a normal person. It was faint, but Raz could definitely see the psychic signatures. They were everywhere, like dirty fingerprints all over a picture frame.

Raz's brow furrowed as he pressed two fingers to his temple, placing his mental focus on that screen so he could hear what was being said.

"_-- And that makes the fifth town left in shambles this month," _A reporter was saying in a peppy voice as scenes of the destruction continued to shift by. _"Meteorologists are working round the clock in an attempt to figure out exactly what is causing these freak storms, but so far they have found absolutely nothing to suggest anything but clear, sunny skies and a few rain showers for the past few weeks. While the cause of these destructive storms is still unknown, one thing is clear; these storms are deadly. Viewers are advised to--"_

"Oh, I see Sleeping Beauty finally woke up," Ford's voice rang throughout the cavern, drawing Raz's attention away from the screens. "I wondered when you were finally gonna come visit." The old man said as he levitated himself over to the central section of his sanctuary.

The teen let out a small laugh at this. "'Morning, Agent Cruller."

"Oh, enough with the 'Agent' stuff already, Razputin. You're not on a mission, are you? For the last time, it's Ford. Just Ford," The old man said, shaking a finger at him.

Raz rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Alright, alright, _Ford._" He corrected himself.

Ford smiled as well, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he slowly lowered himself into one of the chairs hanging from the ceiling. "Much better. Now take a seat and tell me what that is that you got there," He directed, gesturing to the napkin in Raz's hand.

"Oh, this? Pop tarts, s'mores kind." Raz said, holding up one of the toasted pastries for a moment before taking a bite. He grinned around the mouthful of sweetened crumbs and gooey, chocolaty filling, savoring the taste for a moment.

"I see. You gonna just sit there munchin' or are you gonna let me have that extra one you've got there?" The older agent asked.

Raz quirked an eyebrow as he sent the extra pop tart floating over. "Your stomach can still take these things?" He asked, mostly teasing. Ford had a major sweet tooth and Raz knew it, hence why he had made a point of bringing an extra.

"As long as you don't tell Milla I'll be fine. She seems to think it's _unhealthy_ for a man my age, can you believe that?" Ford replied as he snatched the still warm pastry out of the air and took a bite. "Mmmm..." He murmured, a look of pure bliss crossing his face. "I don't know what she's talking about, I'm just as healthy as I was since the day I was born, and a little bit of sugar ain't gonna change that!"

The teen outright laughed at this. "Don't you worry, I don't think she'd be too happy if she found out I'm considering pop tarts to be a nutritious breakfast and I don't plan on telling her," He stated, shaking his head as he took a sip of his coffee.

This time it was Ford's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You're drinking that? Don't ya know it stunts your growth?"

Raz laughed again. "You're not the first one to tell me that. Don't worry, it's not like I'll be getting much taller anyway," He said with a shrug as he took another sip. "And besides... it doesn't taste so bad once you add some sugar."

Ford shook his head. "Honestly, you kids these days..."

"Hey now, I need the caffeine!" Raz declared defensively through a mouthful of pop tart.

Agent Cruller stared at Raz for a moment, watching him. "Because of your nightmares?" He inquired, his voice slightly more serious now.

Raz froze mid-sip. A few moments of silence ticked by as he lowered his cup, jade green eyes shadowing slightly. "...Yeah. You know about that?" He asked, his own tone sounding slightly more drained.

"There's not a thing that goes on in this camp that I don't know about, remember?" Ford said, raising his eyebrows. "Sasha told me about it this morning, and I saw a bit of it on the cameras."

"...Oh. Right." The teen trailed off, glancing down at the crumb-filled napkin in his hands. Well, of course Ford would know. Even so, he felt a little bad burdening the man with his night terrors on top of everything else. He was fairly close to Ford, seeing as the man had been stowed in his head during his first adventure and all. He knew he could tell the great Psychonaut just about anything... but he almost wished everyone hadn't known. Now it was just another mess for all of them.

"It's not a burden if you're helping a friend, Razputin," Ford spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

Raz blinked. "Huh?"

The elder man rolled his eyes, tapping his head. "And here I thought you were supposed to have read True Psychic Tales... didn't you pay any attention to the little life lessons stored in there about friendship and courage and all that other hullabaloo?"

"Of course I did!" The teen exclaimed, sounding mildly insulted. Those comics had practically been his handbook for every day life!

"Then you should already know, it's okay to let others help you. You can't be saving the world single-handedly every time, otherwise who's gonna be there to save you?" Cruller asked, gesturing to the boy.

Raz sighed. "I know, I know. But even so, I'd prefer to not have to be saved," He ran a hand through his hair, gazing up at the dark cavern ceiling high above. "It's my nightmare, my problem. And if I'm right, the less people involved, the better. Something terrible may happen to whoever tries to help... but I know I can't do this on my own. So I'll take what help I need... but only that. If I don't, someone could get hurt..." He trailed off, biting his lip.

_'Lili...'_

"Hey now, you promised me when you got older you wouldn't get all angsty on me. You better make sure you keep that promise, you hear?" Cruller scolded, waving a finger at him.

"Ford..." Raz glanced back at the man, then cracked a small smile. "...Thanks. I won't, promise."

The old man nodded sternly. "You better." He said with a nod before finishing off the last of his pop tart.

Things lapsed into companionable silence for a moment, with Raz sipping his coffee and gazing up at the TV screens. After seeing the scenes of destruction flash by yet again he decided to speak up. "Those neighborhoods, in those reports... they weren't really hit by a storm, were they?" He asked.

Ford glanced up at the screen Raz was watching, his expression becoming grim. "No, I'm afraid not."

Raz finally tore his eyes away from the wreckage to Ford. "What happened?"

The former Grand Head of the Psychonauts sighed, scratching his head. "About how much news from our world do you get, son?"

"I get reports from headquarters via my communicator weekly, but aside from missions that's about it." Raz replied, tugging the silvery device off his belt and holding it up.

"Good, they're keeping you updated... ten times better than what they had in my day." Cruller muttered. "Anyway, so you know about the terrorists, then?"

The boy's expression darkened. "How could I not? They've been everywhere since around two years ago, right? They've only attacked a few times, but their attacks were centered around major cities. Their main objective is unknown... they're a threat, but an obscure one." He recited.

Ford chuckled darkly. "Ah, not quite as updated as you could be, then."

"Huh?"

"Well, let's just say they aren't quite so obscure anymore. Their attacks have become much more frequent as of late, that's what the reports are on. They've become so numerous the Psychonauts are having trouble covering it all up from the regular world. For now they're all convinced it's just a bunch of freak storms caused by global warming... but if things get any worse, we could be running a serious risk." Ford explained.

"That's terrible!" Raz gasped.

"Oh, you're tellin' me!" The older psychonaut exclaimed. "We have enough trouble as it is, and it ain't helping at all that those attacks have been specifically targeted on regular humans. No psychics, just regular humans. And they don't seem to have any pattern either... they're just attacks meant to take out as many people as possible."

Raz frowned, brow furrowing. "So... let me get this straight. They're attacking people just for the sake of attacking them?" That didn't seem right. Villains always wanted _something_, what could they gain with seemingly random attacks?"

"I really don't know." Ford muttered gravely. "On top of all that we've got psychics disappearing left and right. Most of em are just kids, even."

The teen blinked. "Wait, psychics are being kidnapped? Why wasn't I told about this?" He demanded, eyes narrowing. "Aren't I supposed to be the 'Anti-Kidnapping Specialist', here?"

Cruller frowned, his brow furrowing as well. "I'm not sure... I'll check up on it and see what's up. But mess-ups are known to happen and you do tend to move around a lot, so... well, who knows?"

Raz sighed. "Damnit, this is why I wish they'd let me hang around headquarters more often..." He muttered.

"Didn't they let you stay there for awhile?" Crueller asked, quirking a brow.

"Well, yeah," The teen shrugged. "When I was going through extra training and working on missions I have a dorm up there, but since I'm a minor they say whenever I'm not involved in work they expect me to stay with my dad..." Raz's voice trailed off and he gave a sigh, kicking absently at his chair. "It's not fair... you'd think after saving the world a few times they'd let me do more." It was clear he was still a bit bitter over this.

His companion looked confused. "I could have sworn they were giving you big missions, though?"

"Well, yeah, they _were_," Raz said. "Lately they haven't given me any assignments though, I've been spending all my time at that circus, bored out of my mind!"

Cruller frowned. "That's odd... although I suppose you _are_ a special case and they can only do so much." He scratched his head, looking troubled, then shrugged. "Well, on the bright side, I'm sure your dad is happy to see you more, isn't he?"

"Oh, well, yeah!" Raz nodded quickly, giving a small smile. "I mean... yeah, don't get me wrong, things are better at the circus now. Still, I wish I could be a bit more involved in the agency then I've been lately, that's all." He gave a sigh and scratched his head as he gazed up at the screens again. "Whatever. I don't need them to contact me, I can figure stuff out on my own. Anyway... let me guess, that terrorist group is behind the whole kidnapping thing as well?"

"My thoughts exactly," Ford nodded in agreement, allowing the conversation to drift back to the original topic.

"Sounds like it could definitely use some investigating," The teen murmured, rubbing his chin. "I mean, if--"

"Whoa now, hold on there son!" Cruller held up a hand, cutting him off. "You've got enough problems as it is! We've got an entire organization to handle this, and while I'll admit sometimes they don't make the brightest choices, it's probably best to just sit back and let them handle it for now. If the Psychonauts need you... well, you know. Let's just focus on your nightmares for now, okay?"

Raz's eyes narrowed slightly and he opened his mouth to reply, but at the last second he stopped himself, thinking. Then he sighed, shoulders drooping slightly. "Yeah, yeah, alright. I'll try to stay out of it... for now. I just hate being so out of things right now, that's all."

He looked like he was going to say more, but was interrupted when his communicator suddenly beeped. The boy immediately snatched the device up on reflex and snapped it open, the Psychonauts emblem glowing in bright orange on the back. "Ah, looks like Sasha's class let out. I guess that means it's time to head to his lab then." He replaced the communicator once again, looking back to Ford and smiling apologetically. "Looks like I'm gonna have to get to that 'focusing' thing right away. I have to get going, sorry."

Ford shook his head, waving the boy off. "Oh, it's fine. The sooner you work this out the better, right? Go on now, git!" He said with a smile.

Raz chuckled, turning and heading for the tree stump he'd come from, his scarf swirling behind him with the motion. "Right. See you later, Ford!"

"Good luck, Razputin!" Ford called after him with a salute. "And remember; you promised!"

The teen paused just as he reached the tree stump. He turned, gave a quick salute and grin, then hopped into the tree stump and was gone.

--

Sasha's lab was the same as always. The stainless steel walls were still cold and barren, the black and white floor tiles still spotless as ever. A few pieces of modern sculpture (which still puzzled Raz to no end, they looked like plain old sheets of metal with holes in them to him) were placed around the room for decoration, as well as several red, circular chairs that seemed as if they hadn't been used in awhile if the papers covering them were any indication.

"You know, for a guy who's so nutty about the organization of one's mind and keeping things neat, this place is a mess," Raz commented as he made his way down the stairs into the lab, the multicolored glass contrasting sharply with the drab colors that made up the rest of room. He paused to lightly tap at a cardboard box with his foot, shaking his head. "You really should clean up all this mess."

Sasha glanced up from the controls of the brain tumbler to quirk an eyebrow at Raz. "For your information, Razputin, I can find everything I need in my lab just fine. It's not a mess."

Raz snorted at this. "Right, excuse me, it's _organized clutter_, my bad."

"Ha ha, very funny," The German Psychonaut drawled, finally turning away from the machine to face Razputin fully. "I see your fainting spell from last night has done nothing to shake your sense of humor."

The teen blinked as he finally got to the end of the stairs, then let out a long breath and nodded. "Yeah. Didn't do much to help with the whole 'sleeping' thing though."

Sasha gave a small smile at this. "Well, do not worry. If things go as planned, we should be able to find the cause of these nightmares and get rid of them soon enough."

"Really?" Raz asked, cocking his head to the side. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I was considering sending you through the brain tumbler again..." Sasha trailed off, rubbing his chin.

"The brain tumbler?" Raz gulped, visibly paling a little. He really would have preferred to not use that machine again, his previous experience with it had not been exactly pleasant.

The dark-haired man frowned, noting Raz's distress. "Well, we don't _have _to use it... but the fastest way to get to the bottom of your nightmare is to go inside your mind and take a look. I suppose we could try another way, but..."

Raz sighed, shoulders slumping. "Fine, alright. I'll try the brain tumbler again." As much as he didn't want to, Sasha was right, it probably _was _the fastest way to get to the bottom of this mess. And he needed to be fast about this, if his dreams were any indication.

Sasha smiled. "Good. Step up to the brain tumbler, then." He said, turning back to the controls and adjusting them.

The great red and purple machine made a few whirring sounds as it lowered in place, finally stopping at Raz's height. The teen hesitated for a moment, staring at the hair dryer-like instrument. Then, with another sigh he made his way over to the machine and turned, leaning the back of his head against the circular opening of the device.

"You've got this worked out this time, right? I'm not gonna get sent to another crazy mental forest with bunnies and meat, am I?" Raz asked, glancing over at Sasha.

Sasha chuckled, shaking his head. "No, I've checked already. There should be no mental interference, the only mental landscape you'll be visiting this time will be your own. You have nothing to fear, my friend."

Raz nodded, taking this as a small comfort, and took a deep breath. "Well, let's get this over with," He muttered as he pulled his goggles down over his eyes, then gave Sasha the thumbs up.

With a hum and a whir the machine came to life, then began to rumble. Raz grit his teeth, his head rattling as if his brain were being spun through the rinse cycle in a washing machine. Swirling images of red and orange flashed before his eyes, and there was sudden jerking feeling, as if he were being yanked from his own body...

And quite suddenly he was no longer in Sasha's lab.

Raz groaned, stumbling on his feet and clutching at his head for a moment. "Ugh, I hate that thing..." He moaned as shook his head in an attempt to clear it. After a few seconds the feeling of vertigo faded and Raz stood up straight, glancing around at the glowing, swirling blue world that made up the collective unconscious.

"_Razputin, can you hear me?" _Sasha's voice rang through the void, echoing.

Raz didn't even bother glancing around for the source, he knew he wouldn't see it from his previous experience. "Yeah, I can hear you."

"_Good. Now, I'm not entirely sure exactly where your door is, the collective unconscious rearranges as people get closer and further from this corner of it. It should be somewhere along that path, however, so follow that."_ The German Psychonaut directed.

"Right." Raz said with a nod, turning his focus on the pathway before him. Doors of many colors floated along the outside of it.. He slowly began making his way along this path, eyes falling lightly closed as he felt around mentally for his door.

He brushed past the minds of campers, young, eager, some scared, some annoyed, some simply having a good time. He passed Sasha's doorway, his mind seeming deceptively empty at first touch, though Raz knew better. He faintly caught the sound of lively music through Milla's door, and made a point of stepping as far as possible from Coach Oleander's when gunfire was heard from within.

At last he found his own mind, the door opened just a crack, bidding him entry. Raz gazed at it for a moment, then took hold of the handle. With a quick tug he pulled open and door and stepped into the glowing entryway, closing his eyes against the blinding light.

"_Razputin? Are you in?"_ Sasha's voice rang in his ears as the light began to recede.

Raz slowly cracked open one eye, then the other as he began to look around. "Yeah, I'm in. It looks like it's the same as always, just darkness and the caravan." He said as he gazed at his run-down home, trying to ignore the mixed emotions that came up at the sight. Although he didn't hate the circus quite as much as he used to, it didn't change the fact that most of his memories were not exactly pleasant.

"_I see. Well, try going inside, then."_

"Right." Raz said with a nod, though it was unlikely Sasha could see it. He headed over to the caravan, his fingers brushing against chipped paint as he ambled up the creaky wooden steps. Ducking beneath the reddish, torn cloth that covered the doorway, the young Psychonaut found himself in a long wooden hall. Old, torn circus posters covered the walls, the name "Aquato" printed in fading red.

"Well, at least it's not filled with meat anymore," The teen muttered to himself as he reached up to straighten a corner of one of the peeling posters.

"_Hm?"_

Raz chuckled to himself. "It's nothing. I'm in a hallway filled with circus posters. There's a light at the end of it, I'm pretty sure it leads to the rest of my circus," He said. "I'm gonna try heading that way. Maybe I'll find something that'll jog my memory over these nightmares and what they mean."

"_Sounds like a plan. Be careful, Razputin."_

"Thanks." The teen began heading towards the light at the end of the hallway, his boots making a hollow thud each time he took a step. The wood seemed to creak every time he put any weight on it, but Raz was confident that if this "caravan" was anything like the real thing, it would be fine.

Just as he nearly made it to the end of the hall, it happened. The floor suddenly split open and a black, clawed hand suddenly reached out, latching onto his ankle. The talons tore through his pant leg, their points digging into his flesh, and _God it burned_!

"GAH!" Raz let out a cry of surprise and pain, trying to tug his leg away from whatever had grabbed it. However, not only did the clawed hand manage to maintain it's hold, but it _tugged back_. Raz let out a hiss as his shoe began to sink beneath the floor, feeling the burn spread up his trapped leg.

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

The teen let out a hiss of pain as he was pulled further still, his lower leg feeling as if it were on fire. "Let go!" He cried, trying to pull loose.

"_Razputin? What's happening?"_

"Something's got me! Ugh!" Raz ground out as his entire leg was consumed, the rest of him threatening to follow even as he struggled to stay above ground.

**-You cannot escape...-**

"_A nightmare?"_

"I-I think so." The teen grunted, gritting his teeth in pain. He could no longer feel his leg anymore.

"_Well, what are you waiting for? Psi-blast it!"_

"Ah... AH! Right!" Raz pressed two gloved fingers to his temple, trying to twist to a point where he could get a quick shot. He concentrated, and in a burst of crimson the hand retreated. The teen quickly tugged his leg back and knelt there on the caravan floor, panting.

He didn't have time to rest, however, as moments later the entire ground suddenly burst open. Raz let out a shout, jumping to his feet as a great, black, snake-like monster came rearing out of the wooden floor. It's entire body gave it the appearance of being made of some sort of dark water, a greenish-blue light pulsating from somewhere within it.

Raz stared at it, wide jade green eyes meeting gleaming, soulless gold.

**-Raaaaaazzzzzpuuutin...-**

Raz gulped.

With a screech the beast attacked, swiping at Raz with one of it's many claws. Raz made as if to dodge to the side, only to find that the tiny hallway of his caravan simply did not allow enough room for such a maneuver. The teen let out a cry of pain as burning talons lashed at his side, slicing through the material of his dark sweater and leaving a bloody trail in their wake, the wooden floor beneath him splintering from the force of the blow.

"_Razputin? What's going on?"_

"Uhn..." Raz groaned as he forced himself to his feet, clutching at his side. "The nightmare just came out of the ground, it's attacking me!" He explained quickly, jumping backwards as the night terror made another swipe at him. He sent a psi-blast at the beast, but the nightmare simply took it, then brushed it off and attacked again. The teen was able to duck the first and second swipes, but the third blow finally got him in the chest and sent him reeling back with a cry, splinters and droplets of blood flying into the air.

**-Foolish child! Liar!-**

"_Try fighting it!"_

"I _am _trying! What do you think I'm doing, trying to talk it into having tea and crumpets?" Raz yelled as he forced himself to his feet once again, ignoring the burning pain as best as he could. "There's not enough room to dodge this thing's attacks! It's..." He suddenly trailed off, eyes widening.

**-Stop running, you foolish child. Can you not see what you've done!?-**

Raz had thought the first few attacks were bad, but they were nothing compared to this. The nightmare had opened it's mouth, it's gleaming yellow eyes growing brighter and brighter as energy began to gather in it's snaggled teeth. The beam seemed to just grow and grow, bathing the entire wooden hall in blue. Raz's jaw dropped and he brought both hands up to his temple, trying to pull up a shield.

**-Soon enough, you will understand.-**

Nothing came up but a few pathetic orange sparks which quickly vanished.

Jade green eyes widened in horror. "What? Why isn't it working?" Raz gasped as he glanced up at the growing beam, the blue energy now taking up most of his field of vision.

**-Murderer.-**

"...Oh, crap."

The beam tore through him with a searing pain, the force of the attack sending him slamming into the wall. The wood splintered, broken pieces of board and torn posters flying everywhere as he crashed through it.

"_Razputin? Are you you alright?" _Sasha's concerned voice rang through a dark world.

Silence.

"_Razputin?"_

The teen gave a groan of pain, sitting up. "Ugh... why didn't my shield work?" He wondered aloud as he shook off some of the debris, trying to ignore the searing pain coursing through his body like wildfire. "I did everything I was supposed to do, but nothing came up..."

"_Your shield didn't work?" _Sasha repeated, sounding confused.

"No. The nightmare thing used this big glowy beam attack, so I tried to put up my shield, but nothing came up. So I got blasted out of the hallway."

"_Hmmm... strange. Well, where is the nightmare now? Where are you, for that matter?"_

Raz frowned, brow furrowing as he glanced around. "I'm not sure... the nightmare thing seems to be gone, though."

"_Interesting... what do you see?"_

"Um..." Raz slowly got to his feet, glancing around. "Nothing. Just a whole lot of empty dark space and... wait..." He trailed off. He could have sworn he could see something just beyond the mists. Frowning, the boy walked towards it, squinting as he tried to make it out. "I think I see... a door."

"_A door?"_ Sasha repeated.

"Yeah, a door... just a door in the middle of nowhere," The teen murmured as he finally came to a stop in front of a gigantic double-gate. It towered above him, made of pure, shining silver that gleamed in an unseen light. It was plain for the most part, with no decoration save for an inscription at the very top of the door.

"_Cursum perficio," _Raz read aloud, his voice ringing throughout the empty darkness. He was doing a fair job of completely mutilating the latin, but he couldn't have known that. "_Verbum sapienti: quo plus habent, eo plus cupiunt.Post nubila, Phoebus. Iternum."_

"_That's Latin. 'I finish the course'."_ Sasha spoke, sounding interested.

Raz blinked. "You can speak Latin?"

_"Fairly well, yes."_

"Oh. Well, what does the rest mean?"

_"Let me think..." _Sasha trailed off a moment before speaking again._ "'I finish the course. A word to the wise; the more people have, the more they want. After the clouds comes the sun. Again and again.' Compelling..."_

Raz frowned. "Maybe so, but it being compelling doesn't exactly explain why there's a great big silver door with Latin carved onto it in my head."

"_Indeed. Try opening it."_

The teen nodded, making as if to grab the door handle.

"_Don't open it. You can't. You'll let it out, don't do it!"_

Raz paused, blinking. He glanced around. "Who said that?"

He received no answer.

The boy blinked again, then shrugged and made as if to open the door again.

"_Don't open it! DON'T TOUCH IT!"_

Raz's fingers stopped mere inches from the handle and he let out a shaky breath, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "Sasha?"

"_What is it?"_

"I don't know why...but I get the feeling that I really, really don't want to open this door." Raz murmured, a shiver coursing down his spine as he moved his hand back.

**-Why not?-**

Raz tensed. "I... I don't know. I just get the feeling I shouldn't."

**-So? Aren't you curious?-**

"A little... but I get the feeling if I do something really, really bad will happen." Raz said, biting his lip.

"_Razputin? Who are you talking to?"_

**-Who cares? Open it!-**

Raz shook his head. "I can't!"

**-Open it!-**

The teen shook his head again. "No, I can't! I shouldn't!"

"_Razputin?"_

**-What are you waiting for? Open it, do it!-**

Raz shook his head again, clutching at his head. Everything was starting to spin, the door before him beginning to blur. "No, I shouldn't. I can't, I... I..."

**-OPEN IT, YOU FOOL! DO IT, NOW!-**

"NO!" Raz cried as he fell to his knees, squeezing his eyes shut, a sharp jolt coursing through him."I won't! I WON'T!"

With that final cry the teen's eyes jolted open and he stumbled away from the brain tumbler, quite suddenly finding himself back in Sasha's Lab. The brain tumbler let out a few sputters behind him as it shut down. Raz quickly regained his balance and stood a few feet away from the machine, panting for breath.

"Razputin? What happened?" Sasha asked as he walked over to him, studying the boy from behind his dark sunglasses.

"I... I don't know," Raz groaned as he pushed his goggles to the top of his head once again. "I was going to open the door... and then suddenly it felt like I wasn't supposed to, but a voice kept telling me to, and the next thing I knew I was here." He explained as he looked himself over, once again relieved to see his mental wounds hadn't carried on into the real world. He felt considerably drained, though.

Sasha frowned. "That is... strange. There shouldn't have been any reason for you to be kicked out of your own mind."

The teen nodded in agreement. "No kidding." He made his way over to one of Sasha's chairs, and upon reaching it, finally collapsed. "Well, now what? We're no closer to figuring out anything about my nightmares or what they mean," Raz said, running a hand through his hair. "Heck, I think I have more questions now than I did before."

"Patience, Razputin. These things take time." Sasha advised.

Raz opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off by Milla's mental voice suddenly ringing through his skull.

"_Sasha! Razputin! I need you both at the docks, quickly!"_

Raz and Sasha both looked to each other, then as one went rushing over to the tree stump placed in one corner of the lab.

"_Milla, we're on our way!" _The teen mentally shouted back.

"_Oh, please hurry! It's one of the children, she's been attacked!"_

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Dun dun dun! Come on guys, review! If you do, you might get candy!_


	4. Whispers

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Four: Whispers**

**--**

_And so we begin chapter four. This chapter took a lot less editing than I expected, something I was grateful for. Raz is pretty dead, but I don't think he seemed out of character so I decided to just leave it as it was. It will also be noted I added a room to the main lounge for Whispering Rock... well, it is a camp, so it's got to have some sort of infirmary, right?_

_Right. Anyway, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is _Over My Head (Cable Car) _by The Fray. (Track 4)_

_--_

The Whispering Rock infirmary was not used very often. It wasn't that kids didn't get hurt, on the contrary most campers at Whispering Rock seemed to end up far more battered than they would at a regular camp, but most of those injuries didn't require an overnight stay. And of course, everyone avoided getting sick at all costs, if only because of the make-up courses Coach Oleander was infamous for. Thus, the room remained fairly untouched, save for the occasional visit for first aid.

For the most part it was sparsely furnished, with several outdated "Drugs/Alcohol are bad for you!" and "Stay in school!" posters hung upon the aged wooden walls. There were several cabinets filled with medical supplies, as well as a sink. Three beds were lined against one wall and while they looked comfortable, they probably hadn't been used in ages. In fact, the room itself probably hadn't been touched for awhile.

That changed, however, when Raz, Sasha, and Milla suddenly came bursting in, telekinetically carrying a small girl with them.

"There, that's it darling, set her down in one of the beds, would you?" Milla commanded, the calm in her voice betrayed by the way that she kept wringing her gloved hands.

"Sure." Raz did as he was told, gently laying the young girl down on the first bed. She appeared to be no older than the age of eleven, some of her short, spiky purple hair pulled into little pigtails at the back of her head while the rest hung down. Clad in a rather short denim pencil skirt and a lavender halter top, she dressed in the manner of a little girl who wanted to be like the women she saw on TV but didn't realize she didn't have the chest or curves to show off with such an outfit. What really stuck out in Raz's mind was her face, however. She was deathly pale, as if she had just been plunged in ice water, and the fact that she had caked on make-up that she didn't know how to properly use seemed to only highlight this face. She stared up at the ceiling sightlessly, dark brown eyes wide, face frozen in an expression of horror.

It reminded him a bit too much of his nightmare. The teen quickly averted his eyes away from the girls face, suppressing a shudder.

"Can you repeat what happened for us, Milla?" Sasha asked as he used telekinesis to rifle through several files.

The Brazilian woman shook her head as she walked across the room to the girl, her high-heeled boots clicking on the floor. "I'm really not sure _what_happened. She finished my class early and said she was heading back to the lodge, and a few minutes after she left I heard her screaming from the woods near the lake. So I hurried over and... found her like this."

Raz nodded absently as he began looking the girl over, frowning."You sure she was attacked? She doesn't look hurt to me." He was telling the truth, from what he could see. Aside from being slightly dirty after apparently collapsing in the woods and her face being frozen like it was, the girl seemed unharmed. However, the moment he met Milla's gaze he regretted the statement. The look in her eyes was of nothing short of agony, both remembered and current.

She knew the sounds of suffering children well. Far too well.

However, the moment she blinked the mask was up again and her cheerful, motherly personality took the reins once again. "I'm sure."

Raz swallowed, then nodded and went back to checking the girl over.

"Ah, here it is." Sasha suddenly spoke up, snatching a file from the air as the rest floated back to the cabinet. "_Kiki Bubai, age 11--_"

"Bubai?" Raz repeated, brow furrowing. "She's related to Kitty?"

"She's her younger sister, darling." Milla explained.

"Oooohhh... that's bad." The teen groaned. He remembered how Kitty had acted about the whole mess when _he_had been at camp. He did _not_want to have to be the one to face her father and try to explain exactly why something had happened to both his daughters when they had come to Whispering Rock.

"Well, it does list a bunch of utterly ridiculous 'special care' commands, but nothing medical. She's perfectly healthy, according to her file at any rate," Sasha stated as he put the file away.

Raz snorted. "A sibling of Kitty's? Healthy? Maybe physically, but mentally--"

"Razputin," Milla warned, though she did crack a small smile.

Sasha sighed as reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "This is very strange...physically, she does seem fine. But..."

"Yeah, I can sense it. Some sort of psychic signature..." Raz muttered. It was faint, but if he focused he could just barely see the traces of psychic activity, tinted a soft, dark green-ish blue. "It's weak, but it's definitely there. But I can't seem to find the..." He suddenly trailed off, jade green eyes widening.

Milla frowned. "Sweetie?"

"No way..."

"What is it, Razputin?" Sasha prompted, frowning as well.

After a few more seconds Raz swallowed. "I... look at this," He said, using telekinesis to hold the girl up. He flipped her over gently, then reached over to brush aside her hair to reveal the back of her neck.

There, etched at the very center of the back of her neck where it met the top ridge of her spine, was a pure black mark. It was shaped like an eye, however, instead of a pupil there was a darkly outlined tear-drop at the center. To the right of it was a line that swirled down, than upwards at the end, a single black dot placed just above this.

It would have seemed like a simple tattoo, were it not for the psychic energy around it. To any psychic it would have been blinding, like staring directly into a miniature sun.

"...Oh dear," Milla whispered, a hand going to her mouth.

Sasha said nothing, he simply reached as if to brush the mark lightly with his fingers. Raz, however, caught his hand and stopped him.

"Don't. You'll hurt her if you do," He said, shaking his head.

The German man rose a brow at Raz. "How do you know that?"

"Because..." Raz trailed off a moment, biting his lip. "Mine hurts if you touch it too."

Both the older Psychonauts attention was immediately torn from Kiki to Raz, whom felt as if he were quite suddenly being put under a spotlight without having practiced any of his acrobatic routines. Milla pursed her lips questioningly while Sasha's eyebrows rose from over his sunglasses.

The teen sighed. "Here, let me show you," He muttered, turning around and unraveling his scarf from his neck as he did so. He then tugged at his turtleneck, peeling back the cloth to reveal a mark identical to the one Kiki had. "It's a birthmark," He explained. "Every Aquato has one."

Milla's brow furrowed. "A birthmark?" She repeated, squinting a bit as she gazed at the mark.

Raz snorted. "Well, it's not as if we're all some super-secret cult that tattoos their children at birth, contrary to popular belief."

"Fascinating..." Sasha murmured. "Do you know what it means?"

The teen shook his head as he turned back around and began re-tying his scarf. He didn't really like showing the mark off to people, the less it was visible, the better. "No one's sure. I just know we all have one... or at least that's what dad says. I can only guess the rest of my family did too... which is really weird, because I kind of doubt Kiki here is one of my long-lost relations." Ha, yeah right. Kitty would probably be tempted to pull a Crystal and throw herself from a roof if she thought she was actually partially related to him.

Milla nodded, looking back to Kiki and brushing some hair out of her eyes. "How strange...and the poor dear is so out of it, it's not as if we can ask her herself."

Raz nodded, silent for a moment as he stared at the girl. Then his eyes widened and he grinned, obtaining the slightly mad look he always seemed to take on when he had an idea. "Hey, maybe we still can..." He said, snapping his fingers.

Sasha frowned. "You aren't suggesting..."

The boy grinned and nodded. "We could use a psycho-portal and go inside to take a look," He said.

Milla frowned, brow furrowing slightly. "I'm not sure...entering her mind when it's in this state could be incredibly risky."

Raz quirked an eyebrow at this, hands going to his hips. "Milla, come on. Isn't it more risky to just leave things as they are? Whatever got Kiki could get one of the other kids if we don't get to the bottom of this!" He pointed out.

The Brazillian scowled at him. "And there you go using mind games to try and get me to agree with you, again," She chided. In spite of her annoyance, Raz didn't even have to try to read her mind to know what he had said had hit home.

Sasha shook his head. "He's right. It's best to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, and the quickest way to do that is to go inside the child's mind and try to find some answers," He stated as he reached up to brush that lone strand of hair out of his face.

Milla sighed. "I suppose you are right...come on, let's get this over with, then."

Raz nodded as he telekinetically opened his backpack and dug out his psycho-portal from within.

"Is... that _my_ old psycho-portal?" Sasha asked, eyes narrowing from behind his sunglasses as he stared at the tiny red and blue doorway with black and white checker patterns in Raz's hand.

The boy blinked, then glanced back at the psycho-portal. Sure enough, it was the same one he had swiped from Sasha's lab six years previous, some visible chips on it making it rather clear it had been in use. "Er... well... I hope you don't mind... I kind of, er, 'borrowed' it awhile back," The teen said with a nervous laugh.

"With no intention of returning," Sasha drawled, quirking an eyebrow.

"Er... well, I _was_ planning on it, but after I finally got through all the tests and other requirements that the guys at HQ wanted me to go through they decided since I apparently already _had_ a Psycho-portal they weren't going to issue me one," Raz muttered, sounding as if he were still a bit bitter over this. "Believe me, I would have given it back if I could have."

The German stared at him for a moment, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Do not worry yourself over it, it's fine. I have another one now anyway. Just... do try to take care of it."

Raz grinned. "Don't worry, I will. Anyway, let's do this." He allowed the tiny doorway to float out of his hand, where it then proceeded to stick to Kiki's head. The little red doorway swung open, a bright light shining from within. Raz's eyes narrowed as he reached up to pull down his goggles the world spinning by in bursts of light and color as he astrally projected himself through the gate...

When the spinning finally stopped Raz pushed his goggles back to the top of his head as he glanced around, eyes widening.

What lay before him was a preteen girl's paradise. Or at least that was what he assumed it had been at one point. What had once been a rolling landscape of pink was now a ravaged, torn apart world. Stuffed animals lay everywhere, their heads and limbs torn from their bodies, burnt stuffing littered all over the dry, dead grass. A great, sprawling shopping center was now in shambles, the rubble and torn remains of clothes strewn all over the ground. At the very center of the world was what Raz assumed had been a temple, its subject of worship being Orlando Bloom from what he could tell. He wasn't entirely sure, however, given the fact that his statue was also in pieces.

Raz wasn't sure what was worse, the state the girl's mind seemed to be in now, or the potential horror he would have experienced had he entered this estrogen-spewing world any time before now.

"Whoa... what happened here?" The teen wondered aloud, taking a step forward. Upon realizing he was stepping on a decapitated teddy bear, he winced and stepped back again.

"I'm not sure," Sasha spoke up from behind him, looking incredibly out of place even with the world as torn apart as it was. "Whatever it was, it was destructive."

"No kidding..." Raz muttered as he gazed up at the sky, which was colored a light pink that seemed to be dying thanks to the dark smog filling the air. "Where's Milla?"

The German man shook his head. "I'm not sure. She must have... wait..." He trailed off a moment, frowning. He then suddenly nodded and turned, heading down the hilltop where they stood. "She's this way."

The teen blinked in confusion. "How do you know?" He asked, jogging a bit to catch up to Sasha before falling into step beside him. "Did she contact you?"

Sasha shook his head, his stride quick. "No, but when you've been paired with someone as long as I have, you don't need them to."

"I see..." Raz murmured. Well, he supposed it shouldn't be too surprising, Sasha was right, the two of them had been partners for a long time. (Since True Psychic Tales issue 200, as a matter of fact!)

As they made their way through the fields of dying pink and lavender grass, Raz grew more suspicious. Though the place was completely torn apart, it seemed... old. As if it had happened ages ago, like the world had been abandoned. There were no mental characters, no figments, no mental cobwebs, no distant sobs of emotional baggage... nothing. Or at least nothing that was visible. But Raz knew to say the place was empty wasn't quite right, because while it did feel mostly empty, he knew it wasn't. Something was there, just beyond his range. He could not hear it, see it, feel it, or even entirely sense it, but he _knew_ it was there.

And whatever it was, it felt familiar somehow.

"You sense it too?" Sasha finally spoke, breaking the unearthly silence.

Raz nodded. "Yeah... this is too weird. It's empty ...but it still feels like something's here."

"Not empty. There is simply far more here than meets the eye," The older Psychonaut corrected.

"Yeah, I guess that's true... but it's still weird. It feels like there should be some figments or cobwebs or... _something,_" Raz stated. "She's only eleven years old, her mind shouldn't be like this."

Sasha nodded. "I agree. Something has obviously happened here."

A wind blew past, carrying bits of ash with it, sending a shiver down Raz's spine.

**-Come, my foolish child...-**

"Yeah. Something's happened... but what?"

After a few more minutes the two finally spotted Milla. She was kneeling at the bottom of a hill, torn apart stuffed animals surrounding her solitary figure, silky brown hair billowing in the frigid wind. "Milla!" Raz called, his voice echoing through the desolate landscape. Milla didn't move, as if she hadn't heard him. The teen frowned, brow furrowing. "Milla?" He repeated questioningly.

Sasha brushed past him, ignoring Raz's questioning look. He made his way down the hill to his partner, finally stopping at her side. "Milla?" He spoke softly.

Milla look up to him with tear-filled, emerald green eyes, her face one of distress. A burnt teddy-bear was clutched to her chest, covering her fashionable and stylish dress with soot. She bit her lip. "Sasha..." She whispered, shivering.

The German Psychonaut knelt down to take her hand in his. "Can you stand?" He asked. She nodded, and he helped her to her feet. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head, though her gloved hand remained clenched in his. The scientist watched her for a moment, silent.

**-I have a place for you...-**

He didn't even have the chance to speak again. The woman latched onto his arm, shoulders shaking, apparently oblivious to the way the German first tensed at the contact, then relaxed a bit. "Oh Sasha, darling... it's terrible!" She whimpered. "They're hurting, I can hear them crying, asking for help..." Sasha made no reply, though he did choose to wrap his other arm around her and pat her gently on the back. From behind his sunglasses one really couldn't tell if he cared that Milla was soaking his jacket or not.

Raz stood off to the side, feeling as if he were intruding. He snuffled his feet and averted his eyes from the scene, fumbling with the end of his scarf. He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised, from what he had seen in Milla's mind he had guessed she was an empath. As a telepath he could sense others emotions, but Milla could sense them much more acutely than he ever could, and because of her abilities she would take them onto herself. So while for him the landscape was disturbing, for Milla it must have been a total nightmare.

They stayed like that for awhile while Milla tried her best to get control and compose herself. After a few minutes she managed to take a deep breath and release Sasha's arm. "Sorry about that... it was just... you know." She trailed off, offering a small smile.

Sasha nodded. "It's alright. Do you think you will be able to help us search for the cause of all this?"

"I can try."

The German nodded again, then looked to Raz, whom was still standing a few feet away looking a bit out of place. "Are you ready to go, Razputin?"

Raz blinked, his jade green eyes coming back into focus. He then nodded. "Yeah, let's get going."

**-Follow me and I will lead you to paradise, child...-**

The trio made their way through the torn apart landscape, making their way carefully over rubble. They stumbled through the burnt out stores of what had once been the shopping mall, finding not a soul within. They made their way over rolling hill upon rolling hill, finding nothing but a dying landscape and torn apart stuffed animals. Finally after what seemed like hours of searching they stopped at the stone steps of the Temple of Bloom to rest.

"This is terrible... it's as if something came through this place and just... wiped away everything." Milla murmured as she leaned against a crumbling pillar. "But even though we've searched nearly everywhere, I can't help but feel like we're missing something..."

Sasha nodded. "It's definitely strange..." He murmured thoughtfully, trailing off.

Raz sat down on one of the steps with a sigh. "Doesn't it all feel sort of familiar somehow?"

Milla frowned. "What do you mean, darling?"

The boy glanced up at her. "Can't you sense it? It feels like something's here, just beyond our reach. I don't know what it is, but it seems... familiar, somehow."

"I do sense something... but as for if it's familiar to me or not I cannot say." Sasha looked to the boy, curious. "More to do with your nightmares, perhaps?"

Raz shook his head. "No, that's not right. It's not like my nightmares... it's different, somehow." He murmured as he gazed off into the distance, not really looking at the destruction anymore. Another cold breeze blew through the area, ruffling his hair.

"It kind of reminds me a bit of the Ferrowbrooks case."

Both Sasha and Milla suddenly tensed, looking to Raz with wide eyes."The Ferrowbrooks case?" Sasha repeated.

Raz nodded, still gazing out at the ruins.

"Sweetie... are you sure?" Milla asked gently.

The boy frowned, glancing back up at them."Er... yeah." Why were they looking at him like that? They were acting like he had just told them something completely out of this world, like he hated being a Psychonaut or something. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Both Milla and Sasha glanced at each other for a moment, then Sasha opened his mouth to speak. "Razputin, listen--"

However, at that moment Milla suddenly held out her hand. "Shh!"She hissed, sitting up straight, emerald eyes widening.

Both Sasha and Raz blinked, looking to her. "What is it, Agent Vodello?" Sasha inquired, brow furrowing.

The Brazillian shook her head. "Quiet, listen!" And so both Raz and Sasha listened. It took a bit of straining, but Raz eventually caught it, the faint, high-pitched whimpers of _something_.

"...Is that... coming from inside the temple?" Raz asked, brow furrowing. Milla shook her head, getting to her feet.

"No, but it's somewhere close. Follow me." She commanded. With that she dashed away. Sasha and Raz both glanced at each other, the teen shrugged, and then they both followed after her. Milla wasn't even bothering with running at this point, she was simply levitating at top speed through the rubble, her levitation ball flaring hot pink from beneath her as she used the basic form of her powers to give herself a boost. Sasha and Raz were right behind her, both curious as to where they were actually going.

They came around the temple and came to a large, gaping hole in the stone wall, the torn remains of bright pink caution tape with the words "do not enter" hanging from the edges. The three Psychonauts stepped through it to find themselves in a dusty, forgotten child's room. A dusty crib was placed in one corner, broken dolls and toys littering the faded violet carpet.

At the center of this room was Kiki, huddled on the floor in a fetal position, her wide brown eyes staring sightlessly ahead, much like the real thing. She was shivering, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she rocked back and forth on the dusty floor.

After staring at her for a moment Milla made her way forwards, slowly so as not to scare her. She knelt down beside the young girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kiki, sweetie?" She called softly, her voice nearly lost in the dusty room.

Kiki didn't answer.

Milla frowned, concerned. "Kiki?" She repeated. "Are you alright?"

The girl shivered, several weak croaking noises coming from her mouth, as if she were struggling to speak. "...No..." She finally managed to whisper.

"What's wrong?" Raz asked, stepping into the room as well, looking down at the shivering child with worried curiosity. Sasha followed suit, glancing curiously around the room.

The girl shook her head. "...Won't go away..."

"What won't go away, sweetheart?" Milla gently prodded, rubbing the girls back.

Kiki began to shake violently. "Them," She whimpered. "They won't go away, won't leave me alone. Keep whispering... they... they won't..." She trailed off, her breath hitching.

Milla felt her heart go out to this tiny, shivering child as she wrapped her arms around the girl, partially to comfort her and partially to keep her from hurting herself. "Oh, you poor baby. Shhh, shhhh, it's alright. You don't have to worry anymore, shhhh..." She whispered.

"No, no, I do. They aren't gone, they're still here... won't leave, keep whispering," Kiki sobbed, shaking her head. Milla continued to rock the whimpering, broken girl in her embrace, whispering soft, comforting nothings in her ear.

Raz winced, forcing himself to look away from the child's distress. To see a little girl like this... it hurt. He looked over to Sasha, whom was still observing the room. "Sasha? What's up?" He asked, feeling as if he needed to speak quietly in this room for some reason.

The German man frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I am not sure... from what I can gather, this room consists of Kiki's childhood memories. Many girls her age do it, they try to bury away what they consider to be 'baby stuff'... and in turn this room ended up being the only thing that survived whatever happened to her mind. So in an attempt to flee from whatever caused this, she came here."

"I see..." Raz murmured as he knelt down to pick up a small, worn purple teddy bear. He used a gloved hand to try and brush away some of the dirt, sighing. All was silent for a minute, save for Kiki's sobs and whimpers. Then, quite suddenly the girl went silent, her body stiffening in Milla's arms.

The Brazilian woman frowned, glancing down at the girl in her arms. "Kiki?"

"...They're here." Kiki whispered.

She then let out a terrified shriek and began thrashing in Milla's arms, as if trying to get away. What was truly odd, though, was nothing had come into the room. There was no one there save for the little girl and the Psychonauts. Milla's eyes widened and she tightened her hold, trying to keep the girl still. This, however, seemed only to make the girl panic more. "No! Let me go, let me go! Please! AUGH don't let them get me, please! I don't want to, I don't want to! Leave me alone!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face, her legs kicking in the air in an attempt to get free.

"Ah! Sweetie, please calm down! There's nothing there!" Milla cried, her voice barely heard over Kiki's shrieks of complete and utter terror. "Sasha, Raz!" She called, glancing over her shoulder. "What should we do?"

Sasha glanced around as he slid into the typical psychic attack position. "I'm not sure.. .I'm not sensing anything out of the ordinary at all." He stated as he scanned the room.

Raz, on the other hand, suddenly let out a shout. A burst of crimson shot across the room to hit the opposite wall, blowing a smoldering hole through it. "Gah! Get away!" He cried, jade green eyes wide with horror.

Sasha spun around to stare at Raz, brow furrowing. "Razputin?"

The teen let out another cry as he backed closer to the wall, sending forth several more psi-blasts in quick succession, one of them quite nearly hitting Milla and Kiki, the latter of which was still screaming bloody murder.

"Razputin! What are you shooting at?" Milla asked, sounding concerned and a bit worried as she continued to look this way and that for the unseen threat.

Raz blinked, looking to her, his face pale. "Milla? Can't you see them? They're everywhere, they-- ACK!" He stumbled back, taking several more shots. "Get away from me!"

Sasha's brow furrowed. "Razputin, there's nothing there! Stop shooting!"

Raz shook his head, backing up into a corner. "No, get away! I'm telling you to get away!" He screamed, sending psi-blasts left and right, streaks of crimson flying everywhere, maverick shooting stars. "I'm not coming! I won't! Just...just get away! Leave me alone! AUGH, why isn't it working?"

Sasha and Milla both looked to each other, unsure. What was going on here?

The teen then let out a cry of pain, clutching at his head. He sunk to his knees, shaking. "No... please... get away... I won't... leave them alone, please..." He pleaded, his voice growing softer now. "Go away..." A soft orange glow began to pulsate from his thin frame, growing brighter and brighter with each flash, gathering energy.

Kiki continued to shriek, her voice becoming slightly hoarse by this point, her struggles weaker even as sobs shook her small frame, snot streaming out of her nose. Milla held her close, trying to get the girl to calm down, but this seemed to only make her more hysterical.

"Raz... putin?" Sasha, whom had been making his way carefully towards the teen, paused. The glow around Raz seemed to be strengthening, the psychic energy flickering around him like flames, growing bigger and bigger with each flare. The light reflected off of Sasha's sunglasses, the mans eyes widening from behind the dark lenses, jaw dropping.

"No... go away... please, make them go away. I won't... I won't... no..." Raz whimpered, his thin frame shuddering.

"Sasha?" Milla's voice came from across the room over Kiki's wails. "What should we do?"

Sasha took a step back towards Milla, looking from Raz's glowing form to her. "Milla... run. Very fast."

The energy surrounding him gave a final flare, illuminating the entire room in an orange flow, and Raz threw back his head with a scream.

"**GET AWAY FROM ME!"**

And then the world exploded in a flash of golden orange and heat.

--

"What. Did. He. DO?" Kitty Bubai's irate voice was the first thing Raz heard when he came to.

"Now, now, darling, calm down," Milla's voice came next, clearing trying to soothe the young psychic. "Razputin had nothing to do with this."

"Yeah right," Franke could be heard scoffing.

Raz slowly opened his eyes, groaning. The pink rays of sunset flitted through the windows of the infirmary, setting the entire room aglow. He was laying on one of the beds, and a quick glance to his left revealed Kiki was still in the one they had put her in earlier.

"I thought Whispering Rock was supposed to be safe? That's the only reason my dad let Kiki come, was because you guys said things were okay here now!" Kitty snapped. Her purple hair was much longer than Raz remembered and was pulled up into a complicated up-do, her make-up much more expertly applied, her clothes the stuff Raz had seen only in passing on the cover of various fashion magazines.

"Yeah!" Franke snapped from beside her, also clad in similar designer wear, her long red hair flowing freely down her back. The two had certainly grown up, but their attitudes didn't seem to have adjusted any.

Milla bit her lip. "Girls, please. You two should know as well as I do that we try to keep Whispering Rock as safe as possible, but accidents _do_happen."

Kitty snorted. "Accidents? You call this an _accident_? My little sister is a vegetable, and you people can't even explain to me why!"

Sasha sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Miss Bubai, please, you don't need to shout," He muttered.

The sixteen-year old apparently didn't hear him, as she continued to do just that. "Oh sure, Whispering Rock is _totally_safe! Except for when the teachers turn into traitors, an insane dentist steals your brain, and kids start going into comas for no explained reason!"

"Those are not exactly what one would call an ordinary part of the Whispering Rock experience, now are they, Miss Bubai?" Sasha drawled.

Kitty quirked an eyebrow, folding her arms before her. "No. But they are when a certain goggle-headed menace comes to camp."

"Kitty!" Milla exclaimed.

"Come on, Milla, you know it's true," Franke huffed. "Things are perfectly fine until he shows up!"

"These things have nothing to do with Razputin coming to camp! You should be glad he was here, if he wasn't you wouldn't a brain in that little head of yours!" Milla snapped, her mouth pressed into a thin, angry line. This caused Franke and Kitty to take a step back, blinking in surprise. It wasn't every day that someone made Milla Vodello mad. "Now stop talking about him like that, you have no right!"

"It's alright, Milla, I probably deserve it." Raz's exhausted tone came from across the room. He slowly sat up with a groan, rubbing his face. He then got to his feet, flashing the arguing group a tired smile. "Sorry, but Kitty does have a point, it's pretty weird how this stuff seems to happen whenever I show up, don't you think?"

"Razputin..." Milla murmured, trailing off.

Kitty and Franke both gaped at him for a moment, then simultaneously their eyes narrowed. "You," Kitty hissed, making her way across the room. "What did you do to my sister?"

The teen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I swear I didn't do anything."

Franke scowled. "Yeah right! Milla and Sasha say you went into Kiki's mind and you went crazy!"

Raz blinked, glancing over at them. Sasha shook his head. "_I said no such thing. I can only guess they heard Milla and I discussing earlier and assumed for themselves,_" He said telepatically. Milla simply shrugged, and Raz sighed.

Kitty then quite suddenly got in his face, dark brown eyes narrowed. "So why don't you tell me yourself? What did you do in my sisters mind, huh?"

The Psychonaut blinked, then shook his head. "I'm not sure. I remember going into her mind... the place was a total wasteland when we got there. After searching for awhile we found her and she was babbling about something... and then after that the rest is a blank."

"You don't remember any of it?" Sasha asked.

Raz shook his head.

Kitty and Franke glared at him for a moment. Finally, Kitty spoke. "Liar. I know you did something to her."

"I swear I didn't," Raz replied, shaking his head. "Look, what could I possibly get from messing with your sister anyway? I mean, _seriously_... anyway, I'm really sorry."

"Pssht, yeah right," Franke snorted.

Kitty glared down her nose at him. "I don't know why you even bother coming here anymore, Raz. You're already a Psychonaut, and every time you come here you bring trouble with you. It's like you're _cursed_ or something."

Raz winced. "Hey, I--"

"Don't bother denying it. We know there's something up with you. Why don't you just go back to the circus before you hurt anyone else?" Kitty demanded, drumming perfectly manicured fingernails against her arm.

"I--"

"That's enough, Miss Bubai," Sasha suddenly spoke, placing a hand on the girls shoulder. "Please, the paperwork's finished. You may take your sister home now."

Kitty turned back to Sasha and Milla, nodding. "About time," She declared, walking over to the bed and scooping her comatose sister up. "There's no way Daddy's going to let a Bubai stay here. _He _least cares about his kids safety and won't be letting a curse near his beloved daughters. Come on Franke, let's blow this popsicle stand!"

"Yeah!" Franke declared. The two of them swept towards the door, pausing only to shoot a final glare at Raz before they were gone.

The infirmary lapsed into an uncomfortable silence for a moment, the only sounds coming from Chef Cruller singing to his grill. Finally Sasha spoke. "So... you truly cannot remember any of what happened?"

Raz shook his head. "No... what did I do?"

Both Milla and Sasha shared an uneasy glance. "We're not entirely sure either. Kiki started shrieking about something coming to get her... and then you started screaming like you saw it too and started shooting everywhere, but there was nothing to shoot at," Milla said, shaking her head.

Raz glanced down at the floor, absently noting it could really use a good sweeping. There was plenty of dust, leaves, and dirt scattered all over it. "So... I really did lose it, then."

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way... you simply saw something we did not," Sasha stated. "It was very strange... apparently after awhile whatever you thought you were shooting at overpowered you... and then you quite suddenly let loose an explosion of psychic energy, the likes of which I've never seen before. It was phenomenal."

The boy snorted. "Well, glad to see you think my random bursts of insanity are phenomenal..." He muttered, trailing off into silence. "If that's the case... maybe I really did cause it."

Milla winced. "Oh sweetie, you mustn't think that way. Kitty was just worried about her sister, that's all. Don't let anything she said get to you. You had nothing to do with what happened to her sister and you know it."

Raz sighed. "Maybe so... but you have to admit, this whole thing is incredibly fishy..."

"Indeed. For now, however, there is little we can do about it," Sasha stated, reaching into his pocket and taking out a package of cigarettes.

Milla glared at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Sasha, darling, this is an infirmary."

Sasha quirked an eyebrow at her as he took out one of the little cancer sticks. "An empty infirmary," He pointed out.

"Which you should not be smoking in. You know it's unhealthy," Milla chided, her lips pressing into a thin line.

As the two continued their little mini-argument over Sasha's smoking habits, Raz remained silent, contemplating over the day's events. Finally after a few moments he spoke. "I'll be back," He then strode out of the infirmary, the door swinging behind him as he quickly rushed past a still singing Chef Cruller ("I told you, the burgers ain't ready!") and out the door.

The teen paused outside, panting, then glanced around. He finally spotted Kitty and Franke out in the parking lot, where a long black limo was waiting. "Hey, wait up!" Raz called as he stumbled down the slope, his boots kicking up dust behind him.

Both Kitty and Franke paused, glancing back. "What do _you _want?" Kitty demanded, glaring over her comatose sister's head.

Raz skidded to a stop before them, panting. "Look... I'm sorry about Kiki. Really."

The girls regarded him with stony silence for a moment. Finally, Franke spoke. "Is that all?"

The boy sighed. "No. Look... You can keep believing it was my fault if you want, but I promise I'm going to find the real culprit and stop it before it gets any more kids. Maybe I'll be able to find a way to... you know, help her too. If there's anything I can do just ask, okay?" Normally he would have said something sarcastic, he would have snapped back... but he just didn't have the energy right now. Besides, even if he didn't like Kitty and Franke very much, he still felt bad that he hadn't been able to do anything to help Kiki.

Kitty regarded him with a frigid gaze for a moment. Then with a huff she turned away. "Come on Franke, let's get out of here," She said, stepping back so the driver could open the door of their limo.

"Right!" Franke agreed. The two slid into the back of the sleek car, carrying Kiki with them. The driver regarded Raz's attire with a raised eyebrow, then made his way to the front of the limo and got in. The vehicle came to life with a roar, then rolled through the gate of Whispering Rock, leaving Razputin standing by himself on the asphalt.

Even with them gone, he couldn't get their words out of his head. With a sigh Raz turned back towards the camp, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Cursed, huh? If only they knew..."

--

Many miles away, somewhere along the east coast, it was raining. The wind sang through the air, shaking the trees, the rain drumming upon the roof of a great stone mansion, sliding in liquid patterns along the window panes. The lightning danced across the sky, temporarily illuminating one of the rooms in the mansion, casting the contents of the room into focus.

A book shelf, filled with books, was placed along one wall, a desk with a Macintosh laptop placed upon it against the other. Placed next to it was a half-finished letter upon pink stationary decorated with darker pink skulls, a few pens strewn absently over it. Several posters of various bands and pieces of art were placed upon the walls, as well as a few certificates. A case was placed upon the wall, several merit badges pinned to the velvet inside, the glass itself a bit dusty. Finally, at the very center of the room there was a large, queen-sized bed.

There, tangled up in the dark sheets, lay a girl around the age of sixteen. Her hands clenched around fistfuls of her comforter as she writhed, clearly trapped in the clutches of some terrible nightmare. Her long brown hair was splayed out across her pillow, pale face soaked with cold sweat and twitching as she thrashed within the confines of her dream.

Another clap of thunder resounded through the sky, nearly drowning out the sound of the rain, and with a cry the girl suddenly shot upright, amber eyes wide. Her short gasps drifted through her bedroom, her thin body shaking. After taking a few moments to compose herself she sighed, reaching down absently to fiddle with an old, frayed friendship bracelet that was tied around her right wrist. A single word crossed her lips, a mere whisper that was heard only by her empty room and the roaring storm outside.

"Raz..."

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Aw, poor Raz is sad. You know what would probably make Raz happier? Reviews! So go on, leave a nice review and make Raz happy!_


	5. D'artagan

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Five: D'artagan**

--

_Annnd another chapter down._

_This is yet another one I like, if only because... well, yeah, it has D'artagan, also known as Dart! How can you not love Dart? He's adorable and he has a stocking cap! For those of you who don't know, Dart is the original main character of Psychonauts. They ended up changing him to Raz because his cap was too hard to animate, but he still exists in concept art, a little cameo at the end of the game, and in the hearts and minds of the fans._

_I just had to include him because he's awesome._

_So um... yeah. That's about all I have to say this chapter. On to the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is first _For The Reunion_ from _Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_ (Track 5) followed by _Freshman_ again (Track 2)._

--

"You little wench!"

A slap echoed through the cavern, followed by a soft cry of pain.

"How is it out of all your selections, you managed to choose the child most likely to be taken home?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know, I'm sorry!"

Another blow, another cry.

"Don't apologize! You should have known! Foolish girl!"

A pained whimper.

"I'm sorry, really, I am! I'll try harder next time!"

"Damn straight you're going to try harder next time!" Pale fingers reached out to snatch dirty, matted blonde hair and tugged upwards, eliciting a cry from the hair's owner. "I cannot have you failing me like this, Inoue! Do you understand why?"

A dry, quiet sob.

"I have waited many years for this time to come! We cannot afford to wait any longer! The world can't wait any longer! It cannot wait another week, another day, another minute! The time for salvation is now, don't you understand that? Yet you continue to hold it off with your pathetic mistakes! Our sisters and brothers are paying the price for your carelessness, Inoue! They experience torment, ridicule, they suffer while you waste away their precious time! You foolish little girl!"

Things lapsed into silence, filled only by slightly-labored breathing after such a rant and the occasional sob.

However, even in the silence, he barely caught the mumbled words.

A sharp yank on the tarnished gold that was still woven within his pale fingers, drawing forth another cry. "What did you say?"

"I, I didn't--"

Another sharp slap rang through the air, the sound of a tiny body hitting the steel floor echoing through the room.

"Liar! I heard you! What did you say?"

"I...I..."

"ANSWER ME!"

"Stop! Please stop! When you act this way, you're no better than father!"

Silence. More sobbing.

"...What? Inoue... you don't really think... Inoue, my sister, you have it all wrong!" Long, thin arms came up to embrace the tiny girl they had just beaten. "My poor, misguided sister... do you think I speak this way because I enjoy chastising you? Do you think I enjoy punishing my own flesh and blood?"

A tiny, barely visible nod.

"Oh, no, Inoue! I could never do that!" Bruises were caressed by the very fingers that dealt them, soothed by words delivered by the same mouth that gave curses. "My poor sister... clearly, you mistake my discipline for cruelty. Do you remember what things were like back then?"

"...He ...he yelled at me. For my powers... because I didn't have any."

"Very good. But you do have powers, don't you?"

Another whimpered sob. "Y-yes... but father didn't like them. S-said I wasn't supposed to use them... was supposed to serve--"

"Shhhh. No need to reflect on the bad things anymore, sister. That was a dark time. But he is gone now. At long last, he is gone. The rest of the family was corrupt in thought and deed, the teachings tainted. But I have eliminated those unpure ways. Now whose teachings do we follow?"

"...Big brother's."

"Very good. You don't need to worry anymore, because I am going to use those talents for what they were truly meant for. They are no longer a sin. I will show the world that. In return, all I ask is that you follow me... I will show you my way to paradise. Now isn't that a wonderful thought?"

A final sniffle. "Yes... but... sometimes, brother--"

"Inoue, darling, I love you. You are my messenger, my angel. However, sometimes you mistakenly take the wrong path, and I must guide you back. I know these lessons are hard for you, love, believe me, they are not easy for me either. But I do this, not because I enjoy punishing you, but because I love you. Do you understand?"

"...Yes."

"Excellent." Pale fingers untangled themselves from golden hair as their owner stood fully upright once more. "Now then...are you prepared to try again, my sister?"

"Yes, big brother. I will not fail you again...I promise."

A sickening smile. "Good."

--

"It just doesn't make any sense..." Sasha murmured, the sound of his pacing echoing through the cavern that made up Ford's Sanctuary.

Ford watched him with a raised eyebrow, hands behind his back as he stood a few feet away. When Sasha was in one of his moods, it was best to ensure some space. "I think we pretty much got that the other night when the boy showed up, Sasha."

Sasha sighed, pausing in his pacing and raking a gloved hand through his hair. "Yes, I am aware of that, Ford. But it seems we have even more questions than we did when this started. Reoccurring dreams is not abnormal for psychics, particularly telepaths--"

"And I'm sure you're speaking from experience, am I right?" Ford asked.

The German stared at him stonily for a moment. "Yes. And if they were just simply nightmares connected to his phobia, as he seems to be hinting--"

"You mean the curse."

Sasha paused again, giving an exasperated sigh. "Ford, for the last time, Razputin is not cursed. There are no such thing as curses, as curses have no scientific explanation. He is not cursed, he simply has a very acute phobia stemming from him being fully convinced that he is 'cursed'," He snapped. Sasha liked Raz, truly he did. He just honestly found the entire curse thing quite ridiculous, and was fully convinced there was a proper explanation behind the whole thing that Raz just wasn't willing to listen to.

This time it was Ford's turn to sigh and roll his eyes. He had already been over this with Sasha when Raz had explained his "curse" to the two of them and Milla. He and Milla had been willing to buy it (and Milla had been sympathetic to the point of nearly smothering the poor boy) but Sasha seemed fully convinced that the curse was nothing more than Raz's own fear. The two had eventually had a great argument over it, which finally ended with them all agreeing to disagree.

"Alright, fine, whatever. Go on." Cruller muttered, waving his hand dismissively.

Sasha shook his head and mumbled something about how they were all "gullible idiots" before continuing. "As I was saying... if they were as simple as regular nightmares things would be different. Granted, reoccurring nightmares are not exactly normal... but I've never seen anything like Razputin's case before."

Ford frowned. "What do you mean?"

The German Psychonaut glanced over to him as he drew a cigarette out of the packet in his pocket. "Well... for one thing, after he fainted on the first night I decided to try recording the waves of energy he gave off from my lab. People's auras waver as they rest, they change depending on the dream and what happens within it, as well as what cycle they are in. I thought perhaps if I spotted any abnormalities it would help me get some sort of insight into what exactly is going on... but the energy he's been giving off is completely irregular."

"Hm... well, couldn't he just be getting someone else's dreams and thoughts? Again, that's pretty common with telepaths," Ford pointed out, his brow furrowing.

"I know that," Sasha sighed. "And I also know it's definitely not the case this time, I know from personal experience. The psychic pattern for that sort of thing is very distinctive, regardless of whomever is being effected. No, in this case it's as if he takes on an entirely different aura all together."

Ford's brow furrowed. "But... that's not possible. A person's psychic signature cannot change, it's unique from person to person and it stays the same throughout their entire life . There's no way to change that."

"So I thought. But in Razputin's case, his signature seems to completely change, and then return to normal and back again," Sasha murmured as he stuck the cigarette he had taken out between his lips and lit it via pyrokinesis. "It's possible it could be due to some sort of outside interference... but if there is any, my equipment isn't picking it up. It did the same thing when he went into the brain tumbler as well."

Sasha glanced back to Cruller, the light from the floating television screens reflecting off of his sunglasses. "I'm not sure what's causing this, but it's certainly abnormal. Add this to the sudden spikes in latent psychic power and the incident in that little girl's mind, and it seems we have more questions than when we started with."

The German took a long drag from his cigarette as Ford digested this new information, the only sounds in the cavern coming from the beeps and whirs of the various machines within it. "Didn't you also say he was attacked in his own head?" Ford finally said.

"...Yes. And ordinarily one would take this as a sign of insanity, but I've run tests, and Razputin doesn't appear to be insane. Aside from the mentioned cases, he seems perfectly normal, or at least normal by his standards. If I didn't know any better I'd say nothing was really wrong... but I know that's not right. There's something we're missing here, but it seems to be just beyond our grasp, and no matter how much I study it seems to only provide more questions!" As Sasha spoke he began to pace again, clear evidence of his agitation.

Ford watched him for a moment before speaking again, softer this time. "You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

Sasha paused in mid-step, his back tensing slightly. "Of course I'm worried. Perhaps it's foolish, to get so attached... but he reminds me of myself when I was his age." He muttered after a few seconds of silence had ticked by. "That's all well and fine... but I would rather not see Razputin go through some of the things I've had to endure, if possible. But that won't be if I keep running into things like these."

Cruller watched him for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

The German chuckled bitterly as he raked a gloved hand through his hair again. "And as if these unexplained issues aren't enough, there's one more... and this may be the most baffling."

"Try me," Ford said, folding his arms before him.

"Well... when we were in the child's mind the other day, Razputin... he mentioned that it reminded him a bit of the happenings with the Ferrowbrooks case."

Silence for a few seconds.

"...The Ferrowbrooks case?" Ford finally gasped out, his eyes wide. At Sasha's nod the wrinkles in the old man's forehead became more pronounced. "But... how...?"

"I don't know. That's the thing," Sasha muttered as his cigarette floated about his head. "And given the fact that we've been busy running tests and teaching classes, both Milla and myself haven't been able to approach him about it."

Ford's expression visibly darkened. "The Ferrowbrooks case... not many Psychonauts can boast memories of_ that_, for sure. But why would Razputin..." He trailed off again, frowning and rubbing his chin. The elder Psychonaut glanced back to Sasha, whom was watching him from behind his shades.

"Has Razputin... has anyone ever really taken a good look over everything since then?"

Sasha shrugged. "I doubt it. The agency seems fully determined to act as if Ferrowbrooks never occured."

At this Cruller gave a bitter snort. "Oh, of course they are. That's not exactly surprising. Looks like those unanswered riddles from two years ago are coming back to bite us in the ass," He muttered.

"So it would seem."

The two lapsed into silence once more, lost in their own thoughts. Finally Ford spoke again. "I think it's time that we took another crack at that case. The agency may be willing to try and forget... but I think this makes it more clear than ever that there's still more to the whole mess."

Sasha nodded. "I agree."

"Good. Now, not that I mind dusting off the old skeletons in the agency's closet with you, but don't you have a class to teach in er... _Nein_ minutes?" Ford asked, a wry grin coming to his wrinkled face.

If looks could kill, Cruller would have been six feet under. "Ha ha. Very funny." Sasha ground out in monotone before spinning on his heel and stalking away.

"When you get old you start to learn to appreciate the simpler pleasures in life, Sasha!" Ford called after him, his chortles echoing throughout the cavern.

Yet even with the sudden change of the atmosphere, both Psychonauts were hardly distracted from their previous discussion. Ferrowbrooks had been a complete disaster. Few remembered it, and those that could Did. Not. Talk About It. But they were going to, because evidentially there were still some pieces remaining to the dusty puzzle.

After all that had happened two years ago, to the Psychonauts Agency, to them, to Raz, it was the least they could do.

--

"Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone get out okay?" Raz's voice rang through the trees that made up the forest near the GPC, sounding only a bit tired as he adjusted his goggles out of habit.

The campers around him all gave groggy nods, most clearly not quite used to the jolt that came with returning to one's body after being released from his mind. Some had fallen flat on their butts, dizzy, while others managed to recover after a few shakes of their heads. Raz couldn't help but grin as he studied them all. He remembered that feeling well, that was for sure.

"Well, great job everyone! If you guys keep what you all did today up, some of you could have your telekinesis badges by the end of the week!" The teen declared, his hands going to his hips. Several of the kids gave excited gasps at this and exchanged glances, clearly thrilled by the prospect of being able to toss heavy things at each others faces without actually lifting a finger.

Raz chuckled, shaking his head. It was his first class, and he had to admit it hadn't been so bad. Since he had such a wide variety of skills and Whispering Rock was so understaffed, Oleander had decided the boy would simply be teaching whatever needed to be taught at the moment. Today had turned out to be, obviously, telekinesis. Raz hadn't exactly had much of a plan, so he tried to just teach them like he'd learned the skill himself; suck them into his mind, make some old circus trash cans appear, and have the kids chuck them through hoops. While the kids had a bit of trouble at first, most of them had gotten the hang of it fairly quickly, and the class had passed with virtually no incident.

"So anyway, that's all for today, so you can all--" Raz suddenly paused, frowning as he sensed a small, bright red telekinetic hand trying to close around him. He then glanced over his shoulder, telekinetically lifting a scrawny red-haired boy up into the air by his ankle. "Two can play at that game, Todd!"

The boy, after getting over the initial surprise over suddenly being hoisted in the air by his ankles, laughed even as his face became about as red as his hair, gravity tugging his camp t-shirt down to reveal his pale stomach. The rest of the campers quickly followed suit, and before Raz knew it he was laughing as well.

He had to admit, he loved his job.

After a few minutes everyone's giggles finally subsided enough for Raz to speak again. "Okay, okay, whatever! Class is over guys, get out of here!" He said between chuckles. The gaggle of kids all gave a chorus of cheery goodbyes, then made their way towards the path that lead back to the main area of the camp, ignoring Ranger Cruller's yells about how the forest was off limits as usual.

All but one. As Raz allowed himself to let out a sigh and lean against a rock with a tired smile on his face, he glanced back to the clearing to see a small boy had remained behind in the grass. His yellow and green stocking cap blew in the breeze as he sat there, his dark brown eyes glazed as he stared up at the sky.

Raz frowned. He remembered this kid, rather vaguely. "Hey... um, class is over," He called, trying to get the kid's attention. "You can go."

The kid remained sitting there, staring up at the sky, probably daydreaming.

The teen's frown deepened and he approached the boy, a few fallen leaves crunching under his feet. "Hey, um..." He trailed off for a moment as he glanced down at the clipboard in his hand, searching for the kids name. "D'artagan?" He tested out, brow furrowing. How the hell was he supposed to pronounce that?

The boy glanced up, blinking. "It's Dart. That's what everyone calls me," He said, his voice so quiet Raz barely caught it.

Oh, right, Raz remembered this kid, barely. He just didn't stick in his mind as much as the other campers did, mainly because while most of the campers were loud, obnoxious, and enjoyed setting each other on fire, Dart seemed content to just sit somewhere and watch the clouds. He had never seen Dart utter more than one or two words to anyone else, or even smile.

"Well, alright, Dart it is then," Raz said with a smile. "Come on, class is over. You can go now."

Dart blinked again. "...Oh." He stood, brushing a few leaves and some dirt from his baggy brown shorts and dark blue button-down shirt. "Right... I'll go then," He turned and made as if to walk away. However, after a few seconds he paused, sighing.

Raz's frown deepened, and in a few strides he caught up with the boy. "Is something wrong?"

The boy let out another sigh. "It's nothing. I'm just not getting this, that's all. All the other kids are really good at everything they do... but I barely even passed basic braining, and that's the only merit badge I have. Everything else I can't do at all."

Raz chuckled, shaking his head "Dart, it's okay if you don't get everything right away. Not everyone does. That doesn't mean you can't do it, it just means you need more time. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it," He said, offering an encouraging smile.

Dart shook his head. "No I won't. I don't even know why my parents sent me! I barely have any sort of psychic powers, the only reason dad wanted me to go is because everyone else in my family is a talented psychic! I'm the only one who can't do it!

"Come on Dart, you know that's not true," Raz said, placing a hand on the boys shoulder.

"Yes it is!" The boy said, shrugging off Raz's hand. "I can't do any of this, and I'm probably never going to be able to! The only reason my parents sent me was because they were hoping I'd show a sudden burst of talent, but I don't have any talent! It's not like I'm going to be a Psychonaut at ten years old!" Finishing his rant, Dart lapsed into silence, panting and glaring up at Raz, small tears of frustration forming at the corners of his eyes.

Ahhh, there was the problem. A bout of little self confidence, parental pressure, and one too many stories.

Raz sighed. "Dart... listen up," He squatted down so he was at eye level with the boy. "I hate to sound cliché, but I know what you're going through. Dealing with pressure from parents can be tough... trust me, I know. But they only want what's best for you... and that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to become a Psychonaut at the age of ten," He said with a small chuckle. "Not everyone's going to get things the first try, but that doesn't mean they can't do it. They just have to keep trying, and sooner or later they'll get the hang of it... and that goes for you too. You just need a little self confidence, that's all."

Dart gazed up at him, sniffling. "...You think so?"

"You bet." Raz said even as he inwardly winced. God, he sounded like an after-school special! "Look, you couldn't have gotten into this camp if you're not psychic, so obviously you are. You just need self confidence and practice, and sooner or later you'll get it! So just believe in yourself and keep trying... trust me, as long as you do your best, I think your parents will be proud."

By this point Dart was staring up at him with wide eyes, and Raz was inwardly marveling that the stuff ripped straight from his old Saturday morning cartoons was working. "Really?" Dart gasped.

Raz grinned and nodded, standing up straight. "Yup. You just gotta keep practicing."

Dart shuffled his feet for a moment, looking thoughtful. Then, slowly the corners of his mouth lifted into a tiny smile. "Hmm, I guess you're right. Wow Raz, you sure are smart!"

Though Raz had been planning to head back to the counselor's cabin, he found himself chatting with Dart for two more hours. He told Raz about his family, about his school, and even shyly mentioned what a big fan he was. Raz hadn't minded listening, and had in turn been willing to share some of his own stories with the boy. He was just glad to see Dart opening up and talking, really.

Finally around midafternoon Raz had the mind to glance at his communicator to check the time. "Whoa!" He gasped, jade green eyes widening. "Looks like it's nearly time for Milla's class. You'd better run, wouldn't want you to be late!" He said, glancing down at Dart.

"Really?" Dart's shoulders slumped slightly. "Guess I'd better go then..." He muttered, making as if to walk down the path back towards camp.

"Hey, Dart!" Raz called after him, bringing the boy to a stop once again.

"Hm?"

Raz grinned and punched his fist into the air. "Just do your best! Believe in yourself and keep trying, deal?"

Dart blinked. Then his somber face lit up in a grin. "Deal!" He called back, throwing his tiny fist up in the air. Then he spun around and began running down the path, the end of his stocking cap billowing behind him.

Raz watched him leave, then shook his head and grinned as he turned away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I think I'm beginning to see why Sasha and Milla come here year after year. It's not a bad job, that's for sure," He murmured as he began to make his way towards the counselors cabins.

He only made it to the beginning of the trail, however, when a loud, bloodcurdling scream stopped him in his tracks.

Jade green eyes widened. "Dart!" Raz gasped as he spun around, his scarf swirling behind him with the movement, hearing the sounds of rustling trees and dozens of fluttering wings as a flock of startled birds took flight.

He was down the path in a flash, using levitation in an attempt to go faster. Trees whizzed past, branches speeding just over his head as he ducked to avoid them, fallen leaves fluttering up into the air in his wake. Finally he came to what he believed to be the source of the scream and skidded to a stop, glancing this way and that as he panted for breath.

"Dart!" He called out, his voice ringing through the now eerily quiet wilderness. "Where are you?" Upon receiving no answer, the teen let out a frustrated growl, his aggravation still failing to mask his worry.

What if what had happened to Kiki had happened to Dart as well?

Raz took a deep breath and let it out, forcing himself to calm down. "Come on Raz, focus. That kid needs your help," He muttered as he pressed two fingers to his temple, his other hand reaching out blindly in front of him as he closed his eyes and concentrated.

There he was.

His eyes flew open and he turned, leaping over the wooden rails and off of the beaten trail. Leaves crunched beneath his feet as he weaved around trees, trying desperately to follow the signal he had only just barely caught. At last he came to a small clearing the wilderness, his eyes widening at the sight before him. Dart was floating a few inches off the ground, his clothes covered in bits of old, dead leaves and dirt, his stocking cap floating limply beside him like some sort of cloth serpent. He was glowing with a soft greenish blue light, the color wavering like water, his brown eyes wide as he stared sightlessly up at the sky.

What was truly shocking, however was the girl knelt over him.

She was thin, impossibly so, as if she hadn't eaten anything in ages. A dirty, tattered white dress hung off of her small frame, which was just as dirty if not more so. Her greasy blonde hair was messy and tangled, hanging off of her head in uneven clumps as if she hadn't had it properly cut or even brushed in months. It hung over her face, overshadowing it. She was holding her hands just above Dart's chest, her soft, chilling whispers filling the air and sending the hair on the back of Raz's neck on end, though he couldn't understand her.

Raz stared for a moment, his jaw going slack. What was that girl doing? He had to stop her! But the light... her words... there was something about it that made him feel as if he shouldn't interfere. The teen shook his head, fighting off the trance he had been going into. No! He had to help Dart! "Let him go!" He cried out.

Instantly the blonde's head shot up, her bangs falling forward to cover her left eye. Her right eye, which was a haunting, frigid sapphire, widened at the sight of him. The glow around Dart vanished almost instantly, and with a light thump the boy fell to the ground as the girl shot to her feet.

"Dart!" Raz cried out, falling to his knees at the boys side and sending fallen leaves and sticks everywhere. The boy was still breathing, but just like Kiki his face remained frozen, brown eyes fixated on something Raz couldn't see.

"Damnit..." The teen murmured, biting his lip. He then glanced up to the girl, whom remained standing there, gaping at him. Raz's eyes narrowed. "What did you do to him?"

That did it. The girl, whom couldn't have been more than ten, turned and bolted.

"Hey!" Raz cried as he leaped to his feet and followed. There was no way he was going to let Dart's attacker get away!

Unfortunately for Raz, for such a tiny little girl with seemingly no muscle, she was fast! She zipped through the trees, blonde hair flying behind her, tattered dress swirling around her thin legs. Raz could barely keep up as he lept through the underbrush, branches slapping at his face and chest, twigs snapping under his boots.

"Damnit, I don't have time for this!" Raz finally snapped, trusting forward his right hand. Orange energy flared around the girl and snatched her up, eliciting a high-pitched cry from chapped lips.

"Ha! Gotcha!" The teen exclaimed with a grim smile. "Now let's get some ans--"

He was cut off as he spun the girl around, eyes widening as her blonde hair moved with the motion to reveal her other eye. It was jet black like the night sky, the pupil itself a glowing a soft white. A thin, black scar ran along her face from the outer corner downward, a perfect arch marring her pale skin.

Upon being revealed the white center of the eye widened, Raz's own pupils dilating at the exact same moment. The trees vanished, the soft chirping of the birds vanished, the girl vanished, and all Raz could see was that blinding whiteness. Then with a groan he crumpled to the forest floor, the telekinesis holding his captive up vanishing as he slipped into unconscious.

And all Raz knew was black.

--

"Razputin? Razputin? Sweetie? Come on darling, wake up!"

Raz groaned, cracking open one eye to see a blurry mess of swirling bright colors and chocolate-brown above him. "Milla?" He mumbled, his voice coming out foreign to his ears.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Surprisingly strong arms pulled him into a hug, drawing another groan from the boy. "I was so worried!"

The teen gently pried the gloved hands from his shoulders and moved back, blinking. A few successive blinks finally managed to clear up his vision enough to reveal that the multi-colored blur had in fact, been Milla. It also revealed that the sun was once again going down, meaning he apparently been unconscious for some time.

The hell?

"What happened?" Raz asked as he glanced around, blinking groggily.

"We're not sure," Sasha spoke up from beside them. "We simply found you and D'artagan here. We were hoping you could tell us."

Raz frowned as Milla stood, brushing the dirt and leaves off of her skirt. What had happened? He remembered talking to Dart for awhile... and then when he left he had heard Dart scream and had come to investigate. And then...

"The girl!" Raz exclaimed suddenly, getting to his feet, any thought of brushing the mess from his clothes forgotten. "Where's the girl?" He demanded as he looked from Sasha to Milla, then glanced around the clearing.

Sasha frowned, brow furrowing. "What are you talking about, Razputin?"

"Yes, what girl?" Milla asked.

The teen shook his head. "The girl! There was this girl, I saw her! She was tiny and blonde and dirty and she did... I don't know, something to Dart! Where is she?"

Both Milla and Sasha glanced at each other. "There was no girl, Razputin."

"We only found you and Dart, sweetie."

Raz groaned, hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Damnit!" He cursed. "She got away!"

"Language, Razputin..." Milla warned, but went ignored.

"I don't know who she was, but I know she was responsible for Kiki too! I just know it!" Raz stated as he kicked at the leaves.

Sasha and Milla glanced at each other again. "Razputin... are you sure you saw that girl?" Milla asked gently.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Raz cried, sounding insulted. What did they think he was, crazy? "Why wouldn't I be sure? I saw her do... whatever she did to Dart!"

"Well..." The Brazilian trailed off, biting her lip. "Are you sure that perhaps you didn't just dream it?"

Raz's jaw dropped. "You... you think I_ dreamed_ this?" He sputtered.

"Well... possibly..."

The teen stared at the two of them, at loss for words. Sasha then spoke up. "Razputin, we ran a scan of the area. We couldn't find any psychic signatures aside from yours." He said.

Silence for a few moments.

"There... wasn't any psychic signature? None?" Raz repeated quietly.

"None what-so-ever."

Raz stood there, dumbstruck. "But... she was there! I saw her! I chased after her! Look, Dart has the same energy coming off of him that Kiki did!" He cried, gesturing to the boy.

Milla sighed. "Well, yes, but sweetie, that doesn't necessarily mean--"

"No, it's from that girl. It has to be. I'm telling you, she was here! She's the one that did this to Dart!" Raz exclaimed, cutting her off, his voice raising as he spoke. His shoulders were tense as he began to pace, sparks of aggressive energy flaring off of him. He was frustrated, first there had been the thing with Kiki and now this, and here he had some answers and no one was believing him. If they didn't listen to him that girl was going to get away and they wouldn't get anywhere, why couldn't they see that!? "She was here, I'm telling you! Why won't you believe me? She--"

"Razputin!" Sasha suddenly barked, cutting the boy off. "Control!"

Raz suddenly stopped, blinking. Upon noticing the sparks he winced, taking a deep breath. Wow, he hadn't managed that in awhile. He let the breath out, his shoulders relaxing a fraction. After a few seconds ticked by he spoke again. "But... she was there. I saw her, I'm telling you..." He mumbled, his eyes meeting theirs, pleading for them to believe him.

If they didn't, it was just one more sign that he was really losing it. And he couldn't have that.

Milla sighed, flashing Raz an encouraging smile. "It's alright sweetie, we get it. We'll keep that in mind, I promise."

Sasha frowned thoughtfully. "Well... it could just be that Razputin really did see this girl, and she is simply very good at masking her psychic tracks. That's always a possibility."

Raz sighed. "Yeah... yeah, that's true."

The three Psychonauts remained in silence for awhile, pondering over this. Then, quite suddenly, a new voice spoke up.

"Wow, Raz. Things really do get more exciting around here whenever you come to camp." Raz's entire body tensed on reflex and he immediately spun around to find the speaker. Upon seeing her, however, he completely froze up.

She was taller now, wearing a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the material fitting to her frame quite well. She had ditched her old skirt for a new green and plaid pleated one that matched her tie quite well, and she had traded her old gloves for fishnet that extended from her wrists to all the way up her arms. She wore matching knee-length fishnet on her legs, a pair of heavy-duty black boots and a choker completing her outfit. Her hair had also grown much longer, though she still kept it in the same long pigtails that she had when they were ten.

But even with all these changes, and even with all the dark eyeshadow smeared upon their lids, Raz would have recognized those amber eyes anywhere.

"...Lili." He gasped.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Yaaaay, cliffhangers!_

_Reviews work wonders!_


	6. Regarding Lili

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Six: Regarding Lili**

**--**

_And here we finally introduce Lili. Oh, the drama._

_This was a part I've always been looking forward to. Raz cares for Lili, of course, and he wants to keep her away out of worry that if his dreams are true, something bad will happen, and all Lili wants to do is stay. I enjoy enjoy writing the two of them, the moments of fluff, the angst having to do with the issues... oh, and foreshadowing, foreshadowing is fun too._

_I also added a scene in here to show that things are in fact happening in Psychonauts HQ. Yaaay, first new scene aside from a few lines in this revision! Right, in that scene, _**Derek Westfield **_and _**Michelle James**_ do not belong to me. These two are fantastic characters I've borrowed for the awesome and talented _**PsychonDirector**_, and I can only hope I've done them justice. Do me and favor and drop by her fics, as they are excellent and I personally think she deserves far more reviews than I have. So yeah, go read her stuff!_

_Um, right, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is _How to Save a Life_ by _The Fray_ (track 3)._

--

They hadn't seen each other in two years.

It hadn't been something either had really meant to do, it had simply been how things happened. Raz's family did move around a lot, after all, and Raz's duties as a Psychonaut kept him busy. Lili, of course, had school, and even with her father's job and fairly decent knowledge of Psychonauts HQ (especially considering she didn't work there until recently) seeing Raz had been impossible. Of course, they still kept touch through letters and phone calls... but even so, two years was a long time.

Amber eyes met jade and both stood there for a moment, frozen. "...Raz," She spoke, the word passing from her lips almost silently.

She had changed. But at the same time, she hadn't changed at all. And so when her dour face brightened in spite of her obvious attempts at keeping it void of any emotion at the sound of his voice, Raz wasn't too surprised. That didn't stop him from letting out a small yelp when she quite suddenly moved to embrace him. It didn't matter how many years they had been going out, Raz doubted he'd ever fully get over being at least a bit awkward about such sudden close contact.

"Er..." He stuttered out as she buried her face in his shoulder, squeezing him almost painfully tight in one of those rare shows of emotion that only seemed to come up in his presence. When he received no reply the teen couldn't help but chuckle and wrap his arms around her in return, the scent of her lilac shampoo hitting his nose.

Finally after a few seconds Raz reached up to take her shoulders and gently push her back so he could get a good look at her face, amber meeting jade once more. The two remained like that for a moment, breathless, before Raz finally managed to speak. "Lili... what are you doing here?"

Lili blinked, then frowned as annoyance replaced her initial joy at finally seeing Raz again. "What do you think? I came looking for you, idiot!" She snapped.

"Er... looking for me?" Raz repeated, blinking.

The brunette's eyes narrowed. "Well, what did you expect!? You just go disappearing like that without telling any of us where you've gone, and of course we're going to worry!" She snapped, hands going to her hips.

Raz backed away slightly, feeling himself begin to sweat. He hadn't counted on Lili actually figuring out where he had gone... and now that she had he was already beginning to sorely regret it. "Er... sorry about that. How, uh, did you find me anyway?" He asked.

Lili rose a brow at him. "Hello? Daughter of the Grand Head of the Psychonauts here. As long as you have that communicator, the agency knows exactly where you are," She explained, gesturing lazily to object hooked to his belt. "And here I thought you were supposed to be a Psychonaut. Use your head, Raz."

"Oh... er... right," Raz said, feeling his ears grow slightly warm. He had known that, really... it had just slipped his mind, that was all.

"You didn't tell anyone you were coming here?" Milla suddenly spoke up, effectively reminding the younger psychics that she and Sasha were in fact, still there. Her lips were pressed into a thin line of disapproval, Dart's unconscious body held in her arms.

"Er..."

Sasha rose a brow at this. "You failed to mention this upon your arrival, Razputin."

Raz sighed, shoulders slumping. "Guys, I'm not ten years old anymore. I think I can make my own decisions, I'm a Psychonaut. Besides, why should it matter if the Agency can tell where I am at all times anyway?"

Lili whacked him upside the head, earning a yelp from him. "Jerk!" She yelled. "Your dad was worried about you! I was worried about you! That's what should matter!"

"Ow... you didn't need to worry, I can take of myself." Raz winced as he clutched his gloved hands over the small bump that was already forming. This wasn't how he had planned on things going at all... granted, he hadn't had much of a plan to begin with, but this had not been part of it.

The brunette sighed, shaking her head. "Raz, we know you can take care of yourself. Even so, it wouldn't kill you to at least let us know you're safe," She said, her relief evident even as she tried to mask it with her annoyed tone.

"Lili's right, darling," Milla pointed out.

"Even with your status, you are still underage, Razputin," Sasha said, nodding in agreement.

Raz bit his lip. He hadn't wanted to worry anyone, it was just how the situation had ended up. "Sorry..." He muttered, glancing down at the forest floor. This wasn't what he had wanted when he had come to Whispering Rock... this wasn't what he had wanted at all.

Lili sighed, then reached up to pat the teen's face, forcing him to look at her. "It's fine. At least I found you," She said, flashing him a rare smile.

_'But you weren't supposed to find me. Not yet.'_

Raz forced a nervous smile, trying to ignore this thought. "Yeah... er... right..."

Sasha sighed. "Ach, one mess after another..." He muttered, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on already.

"Don't worry, I'll call my dad, promise," Raz lied. "But for now we really should focus on Dart..." He added, casting a worried glance at the boy in Milla's arms.

"Ah, yes!" Milla exclaimed. "We need to get him to the infirmary right away!" She turned as if to walk in that direction, but paused to look to Raz. "But right after we're done with this you're calling your father and explaining, understood?" She said, as if she already read the boy's mind on the subject.

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Raz exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Sheesh." The two older Psychonauts shared a look, then nodded and headed for the infirmary. The teen cast a gloomy expression heavenward, then made as if to follow.

"Hello, I'm still here!" Lili spoke up, her hands still on her hips.

Raz blinked, glancing back to her and feeling a blush creep across his cheeks again. "Oh... er... well... thanks for checking up on me, Lili, but as you can see, I'm fine, so you can... er, go now. No need to worry."

The brunette's eyes narrowed. "Um, excuse me, but did you just tell me to _leave_?" She demanded, danger evident in her tone.

"I'm glad to hear you care and all," The Psychonaut continued as if she hadn't spoken. "But as you can see we're kind of busy right now. If you want to come by some other time and visit that'd be great, but--"

"Excuse me!?" Lili snapped, cutting him off. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm staying here."

Raz paused in mid-sentence, his index finger still poised in the air as if he were making a point. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm staying," She repeated, her lips pressed into a thin line, arms crossed before her. "Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed, you know."

"But... but..." The goggle-headed boy stuttered, his jade green eyes widening.

Lili quirked a brow. "What? It seems like you guys could use some help around here anyway. I'm sure Oleander won't--"

"You can't stay," Raz cut her off, his voice heavy with grim finality.

"...What do you mean?" The pig-tailed girl asked, brow furrowing.

"You can't stay," He repeated, shaking his head.

Lili frowned, folding her arms before her. "Why on earth not?"

Raz shook his head again. "I... I can't explain. You... you just can't, alright?"

She stared at him in silence for a moment. Then she let out a small, almost bitter laugh. "What? Look, Raz, I'm not busy or anything, and I know things are understaffed here, they always are. Do you really not want to see me that badly? Do you--"

"NO!" He cried, cutting her off. She blinked at him and he shook his head, looking away from her. "No, that's not it, really." Seeing her, embracing her after so long... it had made him happier than he had been in ages. Even if he hadn't seen her in two years, even if he had been so terrified that they had been drifting, he was happy to see her. Had this been under different circumstances, he would have loved to have her stay. To be a counselor at Whispering Rock with Lili would be a dream come true!

But unfortunately for him, he had other dreams. And he most definitely didn't want those to become a reality.

She glared at him. "Then what is it, Raz? What's wrong with me being here? What's the problem with me?" She demanded coldly. However, even as she spoke, her mask was splintering a bit.

She was hurt.

Raz winced. "Nothing! There's no problem with you! It's... it's just... GAH!" He cried in frustration, gritting his teeth. He reached out to grab Lili's shoulders, shaking her slightly. "I can't explain it, okay? That's the problem! I can't explain it! But you can't be here, you just can't, because I can't tell you why, alright!? You weren't supposed to come! You weren't supposed to find me! You weren't supposed to come but you did, and now... damnit, what am I supposed to do!?"

Why did everyone keep trying to get involved? He'd been able to handle things on his own before, he always had! Granted, before he had been willing to take help, but why couldn't everyone else see this was different? He didn't know what was in these dreams exactly... but he could remember them, could remember her dying easily enough. And it was his fault.

He couldn't let that become a reality.

Lili stared him, frozen in shock, as he stood there with his grip tight on her shoulders, panting for breath. For just a moment the mask had fallen away to reveal the terrified green eyes of a little boy, trapped and helpless. "Please... please, just leave." He pleaded softly.

"...I can't, Raz." She whispered back.

Raz released her shoulders and turned away, the ends of his scarf billowing out behind him as he strode back towards the path that lead out of the woods. "I have to go see Dart," He stated in a tone void of any emotion, leaves crunching beneath his feet.

Lili watched him go for a moment, frozen. The finally after a few seconds she shook her head, the motion seeming to break the spell. "Raz!" She called after him, reaching out as if to stop him. "Wait up!"

He kept walking.

--

"Welcome to the Psychonauts HQ Database. How may I be of assistance?" A cool, computerized voice rang through the cavern that made up Ford's sanctuary.

Ford couldn't help but give a triumphant chuckle at this. Back when he had been the Grand Head of the Psychonauts, such information would have been available at the blink of an eye. However, given the fact that the agency had written him off years ago, such a feat required some rather creative hacking. "You still got it, you ol' loon," He congratulated himself before focusing on the screen hovering before him. "Let me see the file of Agent Aquato."

"Certainly." The sounds of several beeps and whirs filled the room as the computer tried to process Ford's request. After a few moments Raz's picture came up on screen, along with extensive information.

"Well then... let's see if we can find out exactly why the 'Anti-Kidnapping Specialist' hasn't been receiving any info for his line of work," Ford muttered as he skimmed through the file.

Birthdate, blood type, boring, boring... ah, there it was. Recent missions.

Ford frowned as he glanced over this information. "...Odd. Why doesn't he have anything listed since Ferrowbrooks?" He mused aloud. "I know that kid's had missions since then... really small ones, but he's had 'em... no comments on why they don't have anything listed or anything..."

Now, perhaps one could simply chalk it up on poor data-keeping, such as perhaps the missions Raz had been assigned hadn't been considered important enough to write down, or perhaps the computerized files simply hadn't been updated in awhile. However, Ford hadn't become Grand Head of the Psychonauts by simply assuming coincidence. "Strange... it's not as if they have any reason to not assign him anything. He's had top marks and recommendations for everything..." He muttered as he scrolled further down. "A kid this talented isn't one they'd waste on trivial missions and then not even record those... nope, somethings definitely fishy here."

All too soon, however, he reached the end of the file. And even then, there was nothing. While most files had fairly detailed notes over every mission, this had nothing. Just the name, Ferrowbrooks.

"Say... is there any information you're not giving me?" Ford asked the computer, drumming his fingers absently on the keyboard.

"That is all the information on Agent Aquato, sir. There are no further files or notes."

"Hm... so nothin' on why he has no missions recorded, then?"

"Agent Aquato's last mission was the Ferrowbrooks case, sir."

"...I see." Ford frowned as he stared at the end of the page, thinking over this. Why wasn't the agency recording Raz's missions? And why was nothing recorded of what had happened in Ferrowbrooks, either? It didn't make any sense, Raz had one of the more important roles in that mess... so why was nothing listed?

Psychonauts did not just stop getting missions. Either they died, they lost their minds, or...well, that was it. No one ever really retired, and even then, if they claimed to there was always a note. But Raz didn't have anything. It was almost like the agency were treating him as if after Ferrowbrooks he had just stopped being an agent.

And that wasn't right, because you didn't stop being a Psychonaut. You just didn't.

Ford sighed, touching a hand to his head. "And the rabbit hole just gets deeper and deeper..." He groaned as he made as if to close the database. "And yet I'm still not getting any answers."

"Is there anything else you would like, sir?" The computerized voice asked.

The old man shook his head. "No, that's--" He then paused suddenly, brow furrowing. "Actually... get me any files you have on the Ferrowbrooks case."

"Yes sir."

Ford nodded grimly as the computer beeped and whirred once again. "Before I go any further, maybe I should see exactly how straight the agency has their story..."

--

Derek Westfield really wasn't sure how he kept getting shoehorned into these things.

As a Psychonaut he had been through plenty of missions filling with danger and daring, he had saved plenty of lives, and he was quite skilled in cyrokinesis. So how was it he once again found himself stuck behind the receptionist desk tapping a pen rhythmically against the fake marble top, gazing dully at the clock and fighting the urge to pass out and drool all over his files?

Oh, right. Because the girl who had batted her eyelashes at him and asked him to take over her shift was his friend.

And she was _hot_, but that wasn't the point. Really.

The man gave a groan as he slumped back in his chair. Why was he even here? There was no one in the waiting room, the small TV hanging from the ceiling was out, and the elevator music drifting through the room was enough to cause_ anyone _to go into a homicidal rampage. He supposed he had papers he could file, but he really, _really_ did not feel up to it. No, what he felt up to right now was calling up a certain girl and asking her if she'd like to go out for some coffee after the torture she was putting him through now.

The front doors of the agency suddenly slid open, though Derek made no attempt at sitting up and appearing professional. "Take a number and then a seat," He groaned. "I'll be with you shortly." _'Once I get over dying from boredom,'_ he added mentally.

"Well, ain't you a sorry sight?"

Derek blinked at the heavy Southern accent, then glanced up to a see a Chinese woman with long black hair tied into a bun, her delicate figure complimented by a dark blue suit. Most would have been jarred by the ridiculously mismatched voice and face, but Derek's eyes widened in recognition as he forced himself to sit up. "M-Michelle!" He gasped.

The Chinese woman smirked as she put her hands on her hips. "Y'know, when I asked you to take over my shift, I didn't except to see y'all laying there dead as a doornail."

"You wouldn't," Derek said dryly as he propped his chin in his palm. "You're not the one stuck behind the desk on what has to be one of the slowest days in Headquarters ever."

One beautiful, thin eyebrow arched high as Michelle's smirk widened . "Really? Well, I'm sorry, I didn't know y'all were so thin-skinned. If ya want, I can--"

"No," Derek said flatly. "And have you taunting me for weeks? I think not."

Michelle laughed. "Aw, you know me far too well."

The unwilling receptionist sighed. "Alright, what brings you here? I doubt you came just to taunt me about my imminent death from boredom."

"Well, you'd be right," Michelle leaned forward on the desk, batting her eyelashes. "Darling, I don't suppose y'all could do me a favor and hand me all those recent files on the uncharted psychic activity and those terrorists, could ya?"

Derek frowned, brow furrowing. "_Those_ files? You mean the ones about the weird psychic signatures people keep sensing around here? I'm... pretty sure that's illegal Michelle, I haven't even filed them yet."

Michelle pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Awww, come on! It's not like you need 'em! I only want to see 'em for a little while, I'll bring 'em right back! The higher ups'll _never _notice! You know they're way too busy these days!"

Her friend scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, Michelle--"

The Chinese woman suddenly grasped his wrist, her face inches away from his. "Pleeeeeaaaase, darlin'?" She gushed in a singsong tone. Derek flushed, he could smell her shampoo, could feel her warm breath on his face. "I'll take y'all out to dinner!"

"A-alright, alright!" Derek gasped as he moved back, shaking his head. Stay calm, Derek, calm! The man gave a sigh as he adjusted his suit. "It'd better be a damn good dinner, though. I'm breaking protocol on _your_ shift here," He muttered as he began to thumb through the various piles of papers sitting on the desk.

Michelle grinned. "It'll be the best ya ever had, I promise!"

"I'll hold you to that," Derek said, offering a smile as he handed the papers to her.

""Thank ya, darlin'!" Michelle winked as she took the papers and looked them over.

Derek frowned at this motion as he leaned on the desk again. "Er... Michelle... are you feeling alright?"

The Chinese woman frowned, glancing up from the papers. "What do you mean, darlin'?"

"Er... you just..." Derek shook his head, trying to ignore the way his stomach flipflopped at her voice. "You've been acting... funny lately, that's all."

Michelle flashed a smile that caused his heart to melt. "Have I?"

"Er..." The young man shook his head, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. "Nevermind..."

His friend gave a chuckle at this, then went back to looking over the papers. Appearing satisfied, she nodded and looked back to him. "Alright, well, I'm off! I'll come ta rescue y'all when my shift's over, m'kay?" She said as she turned and began to walk away, heels clicking against the floor.

"Ah, right..." Derek frowned as he gazed at the woman's retreating back. "Hey, Michelle?" He called out suddenly.

Michelle paused at the door, blinking. "Yeah?"

Derek began to tap his pen against the desk again. "Your eyes are brown, aren't they?"

"Yeah, why d'ya ask?" The woman asked, quirking a brow.

"...No reason. I just could have sworn they were blue for a second, that's all," Derek said as he slumped back in his chair. "Must've been my imagination. I'll see you at eleven." Michelle smiled and nodded, then turned and headed through the door.

Derek never noticed the way her smile changed to a smirk, her eyes flashing sapphire as she clutched the files a bit tighter.

--

It was nightfall by the time Raz finally came out of the lodge. With his clothes and hair rumpled, his goggles now hanging around his neck instead of on his head, and his face one of utter exhaustion, he definitely looked worse for wear. The teen surveyed the area, then let out a sigh.

There at the edge of the stone deck stood Lili, her back to the lodge. She was staring off into the distance, her long pigtails and skirt billowing in the summer night breeze.

So, she hadn't left.

The brunette glanced over her shoulder at his entrance, raising a brow. "So, how's the kid? Is he gonna be okay?" She asked quietly.

Raz shook his head. "I'm not sure. He doesn't appear hurt anywhere, but he won't wake up... he's just like Kiki was," He said, raking a gloved hand through his hair as he gazed back at the main lodge sadly.

"Oh...well, that's a shame," Lili murmured, turning back to the stars as she absently fiddled with a frayed bracelet around her right wrist. The cloth it had been woven from and the gaudy charms sewn into it were old and faded by now, but one could easily see they had been cared for.

"You still have that?" Raz asked as he walked to her side, gesturing to the bracelet.

Lili blinked, then glanced down at the bracelet, apparently having not noticed she'd been fiddling with it. Her face immediately colored and she let her hands fall back to her side, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yeah, it's ugly but I keep it anyway, so what?" She snapped, sounding defensive. "I don't see you wearing yours. Did you lose it?"

Raz chuckled at this, scratching the back of his head. "Um... well, don't be mad, but there was this one time where we had a bonfire after a show and, uh, well..."

"RAZ!" Lili shrieked, her hands balling into fists, her expression changing from annoyed to positively livid. "You _burned_ my bracelet!?"

The teenage Psychonaut was only capable of keeping a straight face for all of five seconds. Then he promptly burst into laughter, the sound echoing throughout the night. Lili stared at him, dumbfounded, which only seemed to make Raz laugh harder. "I can't believe you fell for that!" He cried through guffaws as he held up his right arm. He pulled back his coat sleeve to reveal a frayed green friendship bracelet. "You really think I'd let this thing burn!? No way! I risked hell and high water just getting the thing!"

Lili continued to stare at him for a moment before her face turned red again. "You... you... dorkface!" She stuttered. This only caused Raz to laugh even harder, doubling over from laughing so hard. As Lili watched him, she found herself giggling. She couldn't help it, he just looked so funny. This, of course, only caused Raz laugh even more, and before they knew it to the two of them were leaning against each other for support, laughing so hard there were tears in their eyes.

Finally after a few minutes of this their laughter subsided enough for Lili to speak. "It... that wasn't funny at all... jerk," She panted.

"Heh... then why were you laughing?" Raz asked with a wry grin.

"Because... because you were, idiot." She replied, though she was grinning as well.

The two remained like that for a moment, their foreheads pressed together as they tried to regain their breath. "Sorry... you're just... you're funny when you're mad," Raz finally said warmly.

"It's alright," Lili giggled. "I haven't laughed like that in awhile."

Raz's smile widened. "Yeah. Me either."

Amber eyes remained fixated on jade, and Raz swallowed as he felt his mouth go dry, suddenly noticing how close they were. He could smell her lilac shampoo again, he could see the make-up so much more expertly applied to her face. Little strands of her hair were sticking to his forehead where they touched, her bangs framing her face, the moonlight seeming to give her an ethereal sort of glow. He could feel butterflies flapping around in his stomach, felt his cheeks grow slightly warm as he stared, frozen.

Lili's eyes fluttered closed and she moved as if to kiss him... but he brought up two fingers to press them to her lips, stopping her. "No, Lili," He said, shaking his head. The boy forced himself to take a step back, breaking the spell.

Lili's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why not?" She demanded, her hands going to her hips. "We're still boyfriend and girlfriend, aren't we?"

Raz blinked. "Of course we are!"

"Then why won't you kiss me? Do you not like me anymore or something?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No!" Raz cried. She continued to glare at him and he sighed, shoulders slumping. "No... no, that's not it. I do like you. But that's why I can't, I've already told you."

Silence for a moment.

"What the... damnit Raz!" Lili snapped, her hands clenching into fists. "What's up with you!? First you act like you're happy to see me, then you turn around and act like you don't! And then you go around acting all cryptic and crap, what the hell!? Why are you keeping things from me!? Don't you trust me!?"

Raz winced. "Look, Lili..." He began.

"No, Raz. I don't want to hear about how you can't tell me whatever," The brunette cut him off. "I want to know what's up with you! It used to be you could tell me anything... why are you suddenly not talking!? It used to be you'd always, always tell me things, you never kept secrets from me! If there was a problem, we worked it out! Why have you changed, Raz!?"

"Change?" Raz's brow furrowed. "I haven't changed..."

Lili snorted. "You think so? Maybe you can't see it, but you've change. The way you're acting now... it's not the way you normally act, you know? You never talk to me anymore, you're tired all the time, you keep secrets, you suddenly don't want anyone's help... Raz, this isn't you..." She trailed off into silence, biting her lip.

"...What happened to the boy I fell in love with six years ago?"

Raz watched her for a moment, her final words hanging heavily in the air. "Lili... I..." He trailed off, looking to his feet. He couldn't meet her gaze. "Maybe I have changed. I'm not sure. But if I have... I promise, it has nothing to do with you. I want to tell you what's going on, I do... but I can't. Not yet, because I'm not even entirely sure myself what's going on here," He really, honestly, wished he could tell Lili. He missed having her to confide in. But he knew if he did, that would only make her want to stay more. And he couldn't have that, that was like shoving her right in front of... well, whatever it was that his dreams were hinting at.

He knew he'd be able to take down whatever was in his dreams. He could, he was a psychonaut! But to get his friends, to get his girlfriend hurt in the process... he'd been playing the hero for six years, he couldn't screw up now.

The brunette's gaze hardened, "What do you--"

"Lili, please," Raz cut her off. "Just... just be quiet and listen to what I have to say, okay?"

Lili fell silent, her nails digging into her palms as her fists tightened.

"Look... I know I haven't been telling you much lately, and I'm sorry. I want to tell you everything, I really do, but I can't," Raz said, shaking his head. "You'll just have to trust me when I say I can't be with you right now, because if I do, you'll get hurt. And I love you too much to let that happen. So I can't be near you, can't kiss you... because if I do, I won't be able to tell you to leave. And you have to leave, Lili. You _have_ to leave."

Lili stared at him, her face softening slightly. "Raz..." She whispered, stepping towards him.

Raz shook his head again, fists clenching. "No, Lili. You have to leave. Please just... just... you have to understand! You have to! You'll get hurt! I don't want to be responsible for that! How could I live with myself knowing I let my girlfriend stay here and get herself killed!? I can't do that! I can't!" He cried, his voice rising in pitch as he spoke. "I'll work it out, alright? I-I'll work it out and when I do we can... I don't know, but right now you have to get out of here!"

"Raz..." Lili repeated, reaching out to touch his arm. He immediately brushed her away.

"No, Lili! Don't you get it!? You have to stay away from me! You have to, okay? You have you get out of here, because if you don't you'll get hurt and I won't be able to do a damn thing about it!" He cried, turning away from her, his shoulders shaking slightly. He couldn't meet her eyes anymore, every time he did it brought back memories of those same eyes staring at from from a whirlwind of flames, those same eyes pleading to him from the depths of dark water.

Every time he saw those eyes, he saw her dying, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. That was what scared him most, the thought of being so helpless. He wanted to ask for her help. He wanted her there. But he couldn't... if he was helpless to work things out for himself, how could he possibly help her?

"Just... just leave. Please, Lili. Just leave." He pleaded before finally falling silent.

All was quiet for a moment. Then without warning her arms came up from behind him, circling his shoulders. "Raz," She whispered soothingly, inhaling his scent. "Relax."

Raz stiffened. "Lili..." He mumbled. "Please--"

"No, you be quiet and listen this time," She said softly, cutting him off, her breath tickling his ear. "I know you're scared for me. I know. I don't know why, and I know you're not going to tell me, because you're afraid if you let anyone get involved this time they'll get hurt. And you don't want that, because it goes against your stupid heroic ways. But you can't always play the hero, Raz. Sometimes you need help, and it's okay to let us."

"Lili, that's not--"

"Shut up," She admonished, her arms tightening around him. "Just shut up and listen, Raz. I know you're scared for me... but I can take care of myself, Raz. And I'm going to help you, whether you like it or not. I don't know what's going on with you, I don't know what's happened... but we'll get through this together... you got that, idiot?"

He bit his lip, shivering slightly. However, he said nothing, he just stayed there, keeping his gaze fixed on the moon above, trying to ignore the warmth of her arms around him.

She wasn't going to listen to him. She was staying. He hadn't tried hard enough. And he knew now, even if he tried, he wouldn't mean it anymore... because he'd failed in keeping away.

Damn it all.

The brunette let out a soft sigh, holding him for another moment, then released him, stepping away, though her hand remained entwined with his for a moment. "Raz, look at me," She pleaded.

He didn't move.

"Raz..." She started, then sighed and tried again. "I talked to Oleander, he's going to let me be a counselor here. I'm staying."

"...Fine," He mumbled dully.

Lili squeezed his hand lightly, trying to get some sort of reaction. A few seconds ticked by, however, and she finally gave up. She stood up on tiptoes, as over the years he had finally grown to have a few inches on her, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I love you."

No reply. Her shoulders slumped, her apathetic mask falling back into place.

"Good night, Raz," She whispered, though the emotion that had been in her previous statement was gone.

"...Night."

She released his hand, then turned and walked back towards the counselor's cabins.

Even with his sweater and scarf, Raz couldn't help but find that summer night was oddly cold.

_Step one, you say "We need to talk"_

_He walks, you say "Sit down it's just a talk"._

_He smiles politely back at you,_

_You stare blankly right on through._

_Some sort of window to your right,_

_As he goes left and you stay right._

_Between the lines of fear and blame,_

_And you begin to wonder why you came._

**How To Save A Life – The Fray**

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Alright guys, here's the deal. You should review... unless, you know, you'd like some nice Turtle Soup. (Gestures to Mr.Pokeylope in a pot over the stove)._


	7. Break the Surface

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Seven: Break the Surface**

**--**

_And another chapter. This is another one I honestly like, it provides some fun foreshadowing and all sorts of information. I'm also loving the Raz and Lili scenes since I'm a sucker for that sort of thing. As much as I love the drama and everything that happens later in the fic, I have to say I'll always be a fan of these build up scenes in Whispering Rock. Most of the editing that went down here was at the end, since Raz gets a bit over-the-top. I also edited the end of the flashbacks since they didn't really go with what happens later._

_Of course, this is also fun since it's two more chapters until the big chapter nine, aka the big reveal of doom! Whee!_

_Umm... right, on with the chapter._

_Suggested listening music is once again _How to Save a Life (Track 3) _or _Over My Head (Track 4). _I'd suggest something dramatic for the flashback, but only a tiny bit of it is actually dramatic. For that bit I'd suggest _Opening Demo _from _.hack/G.U. (Track 23).

--

Mornings in the main lodge were almost always chaotic. The campers seemed hyperactive no matter what the hour, and their loud conversations all seemed to meld together into a blur of indistinguishable chatter. The smell of bacon and pancakes wafted through the air, along with the occasional shout of Chef Cruller that everyone ignored, as per usual. The sounds of plates and silverware clinking together filled the room, orange juice and milk sloshing out of glasses and onto floors and tables that were sticky with syrup, napkins forgotten.

Lili sat at a table by herself, as far away from the campers as possible. A coffee mug sat beside her, though she was neglecting it to wrinkle her nose at the plate of food before her. The bacon and eggs were floating in little pools of grease! Floating!

"My, don't we look cheerful this morning?" Milla's voice snapped the younger girl out of her staring contest with her breakfast. Lili blinked, glancing up to see the Brazillian Psychonaut standing there with a fruit salad and a cup of coffee. "Mind if I sit down, darling?"

Lili shook her head, and Milla sat down across from her. "So then, how are you this morning, dear?" The older woman asked in conversational sort of way.

The teenager shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "Fine."

Milla smiled and nodded. "That's good to hear. I trust you're enjoying being back at the camp again, hm?" She asked before taking a bite of her fruit salad.

"I... guess," Lili mumbled as she set the mug back on the tabletop.

"Good, good. It's so nice to see you back again, sweetie. All the new campers are wonderful, but it's simply not the same as catching up with old friends, hm?" Milla commented with a wink.

Lili snorted at that. "I can see you and Sasha back at Psychonauts HQ, it's not like this is much different," She muttered, pushing aside some gloopy egg with her fork.

Milla sighed. "Maybe so, but it's not quite the same as being back here, hm? You could see us at headquarters, but you have to admit there are some good memories here," She said, motioning around the lodge.

The younger girl couldn't help but give a small smile at that. She had to admit, Milla was right. It wasn't so bad to be back at the camp. As boring as she had found it as a child, it did have a few nice memories. There had been when she had first gotten her badges, or that time when she had helped Quentin and Phoebe with one of their concerts, the moment when she had telekinetically smashed her melted crayons in Bobby Ziltch's face, and then of course there had been that time when Raz had--

Raz. Lili winced at the memory of the boy, her fist tightening around her fork.

Milla frowned as she saw Lili's expression become one of anger and hurt. "Lili? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Lili glanced up, Milla's question fortunately distracting her from accidentally causing a grease fire. "Oh... nothing." She went back to pushing her food around with her fork.

Milla watched her for another moment, brow furrowing in concern. "Is it about Razputin?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

Lili's shoulders visibly tensed. "No," She insisted.

Silence for another few seconds.

"...He's avoiding me. I haven't seen him since I showed up," She finally mumbled, shoulders slumping.

"Oh?" Milla cocked her head to the side. "Now why on earth would make him want to do that, darling?"

The younger girl shook her head. "I don't know. He won't tell me. He just acts like he doesn't want to see me for some reason... but I know he does, I can tell. He's a terrible liar. But he won't tell me the truth! Every time I even manage to get in the same room as him he suddenly has class or needs to take a shower or run an errand for Oleander or something!" Lili stabbed at her food with her fork, the silverware clinking harshly against porcelain.

Milla watched her in silence for a few moments, then opened her mouth to speak. "Oh my... Razputin's been doing that? I did wonder why we haven't been seeing much of him." She then gave Lili a comforting smile and reached across the table to pat her shoulder. "Don't worry darling, I'm sure it's just a little phase he's going through. I'm sure he'll pull through it soon enough and you two will be together again in no time!"

Lili sighed. "You think so?"

The Brazilian Psychonaut nodded. "I know so! And don't you worry, I'll have a little talk with him. He needs to know he can't just go around abandoning his girl like that!" She declared, snapping her fingers in the air.

Lili couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "Thanks, Milla."

Milla smiled gently. "No problem, darling. Now, are you going to just keep tearing apart that greasy thing, or do you want some of my fruit salad?"

Lili blinked at Milla's delicious-looking fruit salad, then cast a disdainful look down at the eggs and bacon before her.

"Sounds good to me." She said, shoving the grease-infested breakfast away.

--

Raz sat on the couch in the counselors lodge, his appearance rather haphazard even after his attempts at cleaning up a bit. A light green mug of coffee was held in his gloved hands, steam rising from the hot liquid within it. His tired eyes stared blankly ahead, his knees pulled up nearly to his chest. Needless to say, he looked exhausted.

"So, teenager," Sasha drawled as he entered the lodge. "I must know... is that coffee black like the swirling, twisted depths of your tortured 'emo' soul?"

Raz snorted. "Nah, it's more of a frappuccino brown."

The German Psychonaut quirked a brow at this. "Your soul or your coffee?"

"Both?" Raz said with a shrug.

The two Psychonauts both chuckled to themselves at this. Finally Sasha glanced around for a moment, noting that the coffee pot was still half-full. "Mind if I join you?" He asked.

The teen shrugged again. "Sure, although I'm gonna have to leave to teach class eventually. Although how many kids will actually learn anything is debatable," He muttered, taking a sip of his coffee. "I swear to God, I don't think I was ever that idiotic or lazy as a Psicadet!"

Sasha chuckled again as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "No, you were more along the lines of the overeager child who read too many comic books before coming and thus thought he was going to become a Psychonaut in a single day."

"But hey, I did it!" Raz exclaimed, grinning.

"Yes, but my point still stands," Sasha drawled as he crossed the room and sat down on the other end of the couch, his cup of coffee floating behind him.

Raz huffed, folding his arms and pouting. "You're cruel, Sasha."

"And your point is?"

The teen snorted and shook his head. "Whatever. Now come on, are you going to tell me why you really came up here or what?" The boy asked, raising a brow at Sasha over the rim of his coffee cup. "Not that I mind chatting with you over a cup of joe, but you rarely, if ever, leave your lab. I think Milla has started using your room up here as a storage closet."

Sasha frowned, glancing back at the closed, forlorn door that lead to his room. "She has? I never said she could--"

Raz stared at him for a moment, and Sasha sighed. "Right, you caught me," He muttered as he reached up to brush a strand of black hair out of his eyes. "Though I don't mind talking to you Razputin, there was a matter I wanted to discuss. I was wondering if you could tell me about what happened with the Ferrowbrooks case."

Silence for a few seconds.

"...The Ferrowbrooks case?" Raz repeated, brow furrowing. "Why would you wanna hear about that? You were there, Sasha."

"I know, I know," Sasha said. "I know I was there. But... look, the agency is digging up a few skeletons with the case, and--"

"They have?" Raz exclaimed, nearly spilling his coffee. "Why wasn't I--"

"Settle down, Razputin, we're just putting more research into it, nothing big," Sasha held up a hand, cutting him off. "Now listen, all I need from you is for you to recount the events of Ferrowbrooks. I know I was there, but it's good to have different perspectives... do you understand?"

Raz watched him in silence for a few moments, his expression stony. Then finally he sighed. "Alright. Let me start from the beginning..."

--

When one heard of the name Ferrowbrooks, their usual response was somewhere along the lines of a slightly bored "Yeah, I know that place". It was a very small town, the sort of which had only one main street and was surrounded by a few smaller ones lined with row upon row of old-style houses. It wasn't a fancy place, but it wasn't exactly run-down either. There was no movie theater or any place of real entertainment, just a few shops run by locals and a grocery store down at the end of the street. It was the sort of place that people knew about, but only in passing, simply because nothing every really happened there. It was just your average, every day little town that one would pass through on their way to something far more interesting without a second glance.

And so, as a fourteen-year old Raz made his way along the only sidewalk, he couldn't help but feel rather bored. "Man... I can't believe the agency has devoted so much time to investigating this place..." He muttered, his scarf blowing in the autumn wind. "I mean, it's obvious nothing ever happens here."

Milla lead the way a few steps ahead of him, her brightly-colored shoes clicking on the sidewalk, dark brown hair billowing around her cheery face. "Oh, I don't know, I think it has a cozy feel to it, don't you darling?"

"Looks can be deceiving, Milla," Sasha muttered from behind both of them, his hands thrust into the pockets of his trenchcoat.

Raz shrugged. "Maybe, but I think in this case they're pretty much true. There isn't even any sort of psychic signature, except from our own agents..." He said, hugging his arms to his chest against the chill. "Why are we here again?"

"The agency has said there have been reports of unauthorized psychic activity in this area," Sasha said, having probably memorized the entire contents of the case file within his first reading of it down to the most minor details. "Though investigations seem to have revealed nothing, the reports keep coming in. We just happened to be the latest agents to get drafted for the case."

"Great." Raz muttered. "Well, let's get to investigating, I guess. We're supposed to meet Truman and Lili at the motel in a few hours..."

--

Truman Zanotto was a man of medium height, and was almost always seen in a cleanly-pressed business suit due to his job. His skin was a bit darker than Lili's, though it was still fairly pale, his face looking far more wrinkled than a man of his age should have been. His hair was a dark reddish brown, so dark it was almost black, though he was starting to bald at the very told of his head, and he was getting several gray hairs already. His dark brown eyes were usually fairly stern, but at the moment they seemed rather tired as he paced upon the floor of one of the motel rooms the agency had rented out.

"So... nothing, then?" He finally asked, stroking at his mustache, a habit he had gained over his many years as the Grand Head of the Psychonauts.

Milla shook her head. "Nothing. We can't find any psychic traces beyond what's been left by our own agents."

"There doesn't seem to be anything suspicious, really. It's... just a normal town," Raz spoke up from his spot in one of the generic, hard arm chairs that probably hadn't been used in ages.

Truman frowned, running a hand through his thinning hair. "Jeez, I can't believe this. There's been all those reports, and every time we're set to drop this as false something comes up..."

Sasha sighed. "It is possible that our culprit is incredibly good at covering up his or her psychic signature. We'll look further into it if you want, sir."

Truman nodded. "See that you do. I just know there's something going on here, it's right under my nose... I just can't seem to spot it."

"We'll keep our eyes open, sir!" Raz declared, standing up and saluting. "Don't worry, we're on the case!"

Truman watched him for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. He knew Raz was a fully capable agent, four years and plenty of vouching from just about everyone who had seen the kid had proven that. Hell, he knew well enough from his own rescue! Even so, he couldn't help but find the boy's enthusiasm a bit worrisome at times.

"Right... I'll see you all in the morning. You're dismissed," The Grand Head of the Psychonauts muttered, turning and walking out of the room.

The three Psychonauts stood in silence for a moment until Milla finally spoke up. "Well, I'm going to see to getting dinner. Perhaps Chinese, we haven't had that in awhile..." She said, grabbing her coat from a chair and pulling it on. "What would you two like, darlings?"

"Ooh! Ooh! I want some of that sweet n' sour stuff! And fortune cookies!" Raz said, sounding excited. Sure, as a psychic he knew fully well how fake those cookies were, but that didn't stop him from finding them exciting...

Milla chuckled. "Of course, sweetie. How about you, darling?" She asked, glancing at Sasha.

Sasha blinked, glancing up from the report he'd been going over. "Oh, the usual..." He said distantly, looking back to the papers as he trailed off.

Milla pouted at him. "Adventurous as usual, I see," She muttered. However, her smile came back as quickly as it dissappeared. "Right, I'll be back soon, dears!" With that, she brushed out the door and was gone.

Mere seconds after Milla had left, Sasha suddenly spoke again. "Hm... compelling..."

Raz blinked, glancing across the room at the German Psychonaut. "What is it?"

"...I did not notice this before... interesting..." Sasha murmured, rubbing his chin.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Okay, great, it's interesting. What is it?"

Sasha suddenly stood up and pulled on his own trenchcoat. "No time to explain, I have to check up on this." He said.

Raz frowned, stumbling to his feet. "Can I--"

"You stay here. If we both go Milla will throw a fit. I'll be back soon," Sasha stated, and then, like Milla, he was gone.

Raz stood in the empty motel room in silence for a few seconds, blinking. Then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jeez, now what am I supposed to do?" He muttered.

It was then that the door cracked open once again. The boy blinked, glancing up at it. "Eh? Milla, are you back already?"

There was a loud cry of "RAZ!", followed by a blur of pink and dark green rushing across the room. The boy let out a small "Oof!" as the wind was knocked out of him, two thin arms hugging him so tightly he feared his spine would snap in two.

"Raz!" Lili repeated in a rare show of giddiness, squeezing him again.

The boy gave a small laugh and hugged her back. "Nice to see you too." He said, pushing her back so he could look at her face. "How are you doing?"

The brunette snorted. "Much better now that you're here. This place has absolutely nothing going on at all!" She said, rolling her eyes.

Raz chuckled. "You're telling me. It's the middle of nowhere." He said, glancing out the dismal window for a moment and making a face.

"At least you're here to do something semi-exciting. All I can do is sit around the motel room and do homework," Lili pouted, folding her arms. The moment she pouted Raz started laughing, causing her to glare at him. "What?"

She was cut off as the fourteen-year old quite suddenly leaned in and kissed her, catching her by surprise. "Sorry," Raz said as he pulled back, grinning cheekily. "You're just cute when you smile."

Lili stared at him for a moment, feeling her face grow beet red. She then promptly whacked the boy lightly on the head. "Dork!" She shouted even as a wide grin crept across her face.

It was good to see him again.

--

It was three AM when Raz awoke to bloodcurdling screams. Green eyes shot open as he bolted upright, flickering orange light peeking through the blinds over the window. "...What the hell?" He muttered, glancing around and realizing that Sasha and Milla were gone. "Where is everyone?" The boy's eyes narrowed as he heard another scream. He didn't have time to work out where Sasha and Milla had gone, he had to find out what was going on! He rolled out of bed, snatching his goggles from the bedside table and pulling them on as he rushed for the door and tugged it open.

The town was in flames.

The fire roared into the night, consuming all in its path. Little shops that had belonged to townsfolk were burning to the ground, windows smashed inward, the broken glass shimmering like jewels on the sidewalk. Street signs were set ablaze, their metal posts melting where they stood. Car alarms rang through the night, their twisted, metallic skeletons crashed into the charred remains of trees.. The worst part, however, was the people, or what was left of them.

The charred remains of men littered the streets, the smell of their burning flesh filling the air with the sizzles and pops of the flames. Women lay with their sightless eyes cast to the sky, blackened faces charred beyond recognition. Children lay curled up on street corners, their soft, pale skin slowly being eaten away by the flames.

Raz stared in shock, his eyes wide in horror. "...Oh my God," He mumbled. Was this really the same town he had been walking through earlier, commenting on how nothing ever happened here? Were those the same people whom had greeted him on the street with kind smiles? The boy stumbled back, leaning against the doorway in an attempt to keep himself upright, his stomach churning.

"Raz!" Lili came running over, her hair flying behind her, face pale. She immediately threw her arms around him. "Oh, thank God you're okay!"

"Lili? What's going on here?" Raz asked, pushing her away to give himself some space. He still felt like he was going to throw up... but no, he had to get a hold of himself, had to figure out what was going on.

Lili shook her head. "I'm not sure, dad ran off awhile ago and he hasn't come back..." Her eyes were wide, sweat sliding down her face... she was scared.

Raz took a deep breath, then shook his head, eyes narrowing as he gazed out at the destruction. He was a Psychonaut. He could handle this. "Great. Well, come on then. We'd better get moving... I don't think this motel is gonna stay untouched for much longer," With that, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her along, weaving carefully through the streets.

However, it seemed no matter where they ran, they found no one. No one living, anyway. Just more destruction and charred bodies. Buildings collapsed as they rushed past, stepping carefully around white-hot bits of metal and stone. They occasionally thought they heard the mumbles of other survivors rushing through the smoke and flames, but no matter how they tried to follow them, they couldn't. It seemed as if the destruction were an impossible maze, an endless one with no end in sight. Finally after awhile they paused to rest, both panting heavily.

"It's no use," Lili panted, covered in sweat and ash as she collapsed to her knees. "I... I think we might be the only ones left."

Raz shook his head. "No, no... that can't be right. I mean, there were tons of agents here... I'm sure Sasha, Milla, and your dad are all fine..." He said, patting her shoulder.

Lili bit her lip as she looked up at him, her shoulders shaking, face pale. For once she really, honestly seemed scared, a far cry from the girl he knew. "Raz--"

She was cut off as the building near them suddenly gave a loud rumble and shuddered. Raz's eyes widened as he glanced up at it. "...crap."

He shoved Lili down, throwing his arms around her and shielding her head with his own as the building collapsed in an explosion of dust, flame, and brick. Pieces of rubble slammed against Raz's psychic shield, which was only just barely thrown up in time, and a blast of heat blew past them...

When the smoke finally cleared Raz stood shakily to his feet, then reached down to help Lili up as well. He glanced at her, she nodded, and the two strode over towards the remains of the shop, splitting up once they got there and shifting through ash.

"Hello?" Raz coughed, waving his hand in front of his face in an attempt to clear away some of the smoke. "Anyone he--"

"RAZ!" Lili suddenly called out, cutting him off. The Psychonaut blinked, then hurried over towards the sound of her voice. She was knelt before a dust-covered corpse, shivering. Though his face had been burnt away and his uniform was in tatters, one thing was still recognizable.

Raz fell to his knees beside her, eyes wide in shock. "This... this is one of our agents." He gasped, reaching out with shaking fingers to trace over the slightly charred badge. Lili gave a weak nod as she smoothed out the tattered uniform.

The two sat in silence for a moment, honoring their fallen comrade before Raz glanced over to Lili. "You're really good with clairvoyance, right?"

She nodded again.

"Do you think... you could..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, and simply gestured to the body of the agent.

Lili didn't even nod, she just closed her eyes and held her shaking hands over the corpse. A few moments after she did so she began to shake even more, her eyelids fluttering as her eyes moved beneath them, seeing things Raz could not. She whimpered softly, lost in her trance. Raz's brow furrowed, putting his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to keep her steady as she began to shake more violently. "No! No... don't..." She pleaded, all the blood rushing from her face.

"Lili, stop. Break the connection," The boy pleaded, shaking her slightly.

Lili remained in her trance, her entire body convulsing now, her face an expression of utter agony as she thrashed. Raz was forced to wrap his arms tightly around her in an attempt to keep her steady. "Lili?" He cried, sounding scared now. "Come on, break the connection! LILI?"

"STOP!" She suddenly shrieked, sitting up straight and rigid, her eyes flying open, pupils dilated. They then fluttered closed again. "He... was attacked..." She mumbled before collapsing into Raz's arms, unconscious.

Raz gaped at her for a few seconds, eyes wide. "Lili?" He said gently, shaking her in an attempt to wake her. Her head lolled to the side, her face blank. "Lili!?" The teen's eyes widened in horror as he shook her again. "Lili, Lili... wake up! Please! Lili, come on, we have to get out here, we..." He trailed off, face going pale.

Someone was behind him.

The boy turned, eyes widening as he saw a figure levitating before him. The person was about as tall as Raz and was clad in all black, the ends of his trench coat billowing around him like a cape. Bright orange psychic energy mixed with bits of scarlet swirled around him (was it a him?) like flames, the power radiating from him enough to make Raz's mind feel as if it were burning from being even a few yards from him. In the flickering flames, Raz couldn't make out his face... yet somehow, the figure felt familiar.

Green eyes narrowed as he gazed up at the figure. "Who are you?"

He received no response. The figure merely cocked his head to the side, watching Razputin.

"Are you the one that did all this?!" Raz demanded, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Are you the one who destroyed this place? Killed all these people?"

Still no response.

Raz let out a growl as he gently set Lili down and got to his feet, sliding into a fighting stance. "I don't know who you are, but I'm not going to let you do this. Who the hell are you!? Why are you doing this!? Answer me before I blow you apart, you bastard!"

The figure gazed at him for a moment longer, then suddenly lifted up a gloved hand, energy pulsating around it. "Both of you. Die."

"No!" The teen's eyes widened and he desperately tried to pull up a shield. He could sense the power radiating from the figure, there was no way he could survive this, he had to protect Lili, he--

His world became a blur of brilliant orange and impossible, blazing heat... and then there was nothing.

--

Raz let out a sigh as he stared ahead at the empty fireplace in the counselors lounge. "And that's all I remember," He finished, glancing over at Sasha, whom had remained silent throughout his retelling of the tale. "The rest you already know... only a few of us actually survived, after all. None of the townsfolk did. Ferrowbrooks went down in history as one of the Psychonaut's greatest failures. A memorial was just built in the town's place, but the guy who did it still hasn't been caught. He just disappeared. The agency finally just wrote it off as a mystery that would probably never get solved."

He sunk back into the couch as the a heavy silence filled the room. The teen glanced over to Sasha, whom looked extremely troubled. "Sasha?" Raz prodded after a moment, causing Sasha give a light jerk and look over to him. "What's up?"

The German let out a sigh, falling back against the couch and running a hand through his hair as he mumbled to himself. When he glanced over at Raz to see the boy looking at him oddly Sasha shook his head. "It's... nothing... just..." He shook his head, pushing down the lenses of his sunglasses so he could peer at Raz with his light gray eyes. "...Are you entirely sure that's how you remember it?"

The boy blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, of course. How could I forget?"

Sasha's brow furrowed as he rubbed his chin. "Strange... it doesn't make any sense..." He murmured.

Raz frowned. "What doesn't make any sense?"

A few seconds ticked by with Sasha staring into space, thinking. Finally he looked over to Raz again, looking slightly concerned. "Razputin--" He began, but he was cut off by the loud beep of Raz's communicator. The teen blinked in surprise, then reached down to grab the device and flip it open. His eyes widened.

"Crap! I gotta go, Sasha, I'm late for class!" He cried, jumping to his feet.

Sasha blinked. "But Razputin--"

"Sorry Sasha, it'll have to wait! I'll see you later!" Raz said as he hooked the communicator back to his belt and rushed out the door, slamming it behind him.

Sasha sat there on the couch, seemingly frozen. Finally after a few seconds he let out another sigh and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. "Wonderful," He muttered. "All that seems to have done is made things even more complicated..."

With that, he set his empty coffee mug down on the table next to Raz's, the other mug still half-filled with the now luke-warm drink.

--

"Great, just great!" Raz muttered to himself irritably as he scrambled down the wooden steps towards Lake Oblongata. "A Pyrokinetics class? At the beach? Leave it to Oleander to be an asshole and assign me something like that!" Of course, he knew he was being a bit harsh. Teaching Pyrokinetics next to the water was really a much better idea than teaching it say, in the woods with all the flammable trees, but even so... damnit, Oleander knew he and water didn't mix!

He finally made it to the ends of the steps and hopped off of them, his boots sinking into the sandy beach. He panted for a few seconds, then quickly jogged over to the boat house, flying past Admiral Cruller ("Hey now, you be careful around my boats, ya hear?") and hopping into one of the canoes. The wooden boat bobbed beneath his weight as Raz balanced on it, then pressed two fingers to his temple and telekinetic ally urged the canoe forward, wings of water flying out behind him.

As he got to the floating pier where the class was to taught his arm dropped to his side, his entire body tensing.

There stood Lili, a gaggle of kids surrounding her. The moment he got within her range she blinked and glanced up, freezing as her eyes met his, her lecture spinning off into silence. All was eerily quiet save for the sound of the water lapping gently against the sand, though it was interrupted by a light thud as Raz's momentum caused his canoe to ram lightly into the pier.

"You're late!" One camper finally crowed.

"Haha! Our own counselor was late for class!" A girl giggled, and all of her friends soon joined.

"Hey, how come he's allowed to be late but I got in trouble?" Another kid grumbled.

Raz gave a nervous laugh. "Haha, sorry guys... I kind of got held up by some things," He said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he stepped out of the canoe.

"Was it official Psychonaut Business?" One boy asked excitedly, his eyes wide.

The teen grinned. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. It's a secret," He said, putting one finger to his lips. This was met by a chorus of whines from the campers, followed by high-pitched pleas for Raz to tell them his "secret". Their babbling, however, was interrupted by Lili.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded coldly, silencing the students instantly. "This is_ my_ class."

Raz blinked, turning his attention to her, his grin fading. "Actually, I was just about to ask you the same thing. The schedule said _I_ was supposed to teach Pyrokinetics today."

Lili scowled. "No, it said_ I_ was supposed to teach Pyrokinetics today."

The goggle-headed boy frowned. "No it didn't!" He said, tugging his communicator from his belt and flipping it open. "See, it says right here--" He paused, blinking at the screen.

There, in glowing words on the LSD screen were the words "10:00 AM, Pyrokinetics. Teachers: Agent Razputin Aquato and Guest Counselor Lili Zanotto".

Lili peered over his shoulder at the screen, her shocked expression mirroring Raz's. The two stared at the screen, then at each other. "No way," Both said at the same time. "But it-- you-- he wouldn't-- Milla?"

Raz backed away, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. The whole "talking in unison" thing was starting to get really creepy. "You think Milla might have...?"

"It's possible," Lili said, fiddling with the hem of her skirt and glaring down at the metal dock. "I mean, after the way you've been avoiding me--"

"Avoiding you?" Raz repeated, hands balling into fists at his sides. "I have not been avoiding you!"

Lili's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you mean, you haven't been avoiding me? You have too! I've been here for days now and I've barely seen you!" She snapped.

"I didn't-- I mean, I haven't-- I... GAH!" Raz cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "What is with you? Stop blaming this all on me!"

"Oh, so now you're avoiding things again by shoving it all on me!?" Lili snapped.

"I am not, you're the one who's getting on my case about everything!" Raz shot back.

"I am not!" Lili snarled, getting right up in his face.

"Are too!" Raz snapped back.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Wow, and here I thought we were gonna learn how to burn stuff! Instead we get to see two Psychonauts argue, awesome!" A camper suddenly piped up.

"WE ARE NOT ARGUING!" Both Raz and Lili roared at the same time, then went back to glaring at each other. "STOP DOING THAT! I AM NOT DOING IT, IT'S YOU!"

"Both of you stop this instant!" Milla's voice suddenly interrupted their argument, pink telekinetic energy appearing to push the two apart. Both Raz and Lili blinked, glancing over to see Milla levitate over from the beach. She landed in front of both of them, her expression stern, hands on her hips.

"I can't believe you two! I just came down to see how you were getting along, I didn't expect to see you both arguing like such... children! And here I thought you two were more mature than that! Especially in front of the students like this! You ought to both be ashamed of yourselves!" The Brazilian woman snapped, causing both teens to lower their eyes to the dock.

"Now Razputin, I know you're going through a rough time right now, but that doesn't give you any right to just avoid us! Lili is trying to help, darling, and you need to respect that!" Raz flushed at this, his ears turning a bright magenta as he mumbled a soft apology. "No, darling, it's not me you need to be apologizing to, it's her! Go on!"

The boy's blush deepened and he glanced over at Lili's boots. "Sorry, Lili," He mumbled.

Milla nodded, then turned to Lili. "And you! While what Razputin has been doing is not exactly healthy or right, that doesn't give you an excuse to bite off the poor boy's head! He's a bit thick-headed, but he is trying to protect you, or so he claims, and you should respect that! You had no right to yell at him like you did!"

Lili's shoulders slumped as Milla spoke, biting her lip. "...I know," She whispered quietly.

"Good. Now apologize."

The brunette let out a sigh, glancing out at the lake. "...Sorry, Raz."

Milla smiled and nodded, apparently satisfied. "Good, darling. " She said, patting the younger girl on the shoulder. "I know the men can be silly sometimes, sweetie. But that's why it's our job to be the more mature ones, hm?" Lili couldn't help but smile a bit at that, and she gave a nod, while Raz sputtered out an indignant "H-hey!"

"Right!" The Brazilian Psychonaut clapped her hands briskly, turning to face the campers. "Now that that's taken care of..."

The campers all sat in silence for a moment, then one meekly raised his hand and spoke up. "I... I'd like to learn how to burn stuff, Miss Vodello ma'am." The other campers all gave nods and murmurs of agreement.

Milla smiled, putting her hands on her hips. "Good. Then I'll turn this class over to your teachers... Razputin, Lili." She nodded to both of them, then stepped aside.

Both Raz and Lili stepped forward, their faces still fairly red. An awkward silence fell over the lake, a single bird chirping in the distance. Finally, Raz gave a nervous grin and spoke up. "So... er... who wants to learn Pyrokinesis?" The campers all gave collective cheers. The two teens glanced at each other and Lili flashed a shy, grateful smile, which Raz uneasily returned.

The two began with a small lecture on Pyrokinetics and how they worked, with Raz mostly leading. Once they got past their differences, Raz and Lili worked astonishingly well as a team, one picking up where the other left off without missing a beat. They even managed to keep most of the campers attention, which was a miracle considering the short attention spans the kids were known for.

"And so now, Raz here is gonna give you guys a first hand demonstration of exactly what you can do with this stuff," Lili said with a nod, placing her hands on her hips and glancing over to Raz, whom had levitated over a life jacket to use as a dummy.

The boy grinned and nodded, turning to the bright orange life jacket. He held out one hand and levitated it over the water so it was too far away to hurt anyone, then stepped to the edge of the dock himself. "Right..." He said. "So first, I focus on what I want to burn... concentrate... think heat..." He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as if concentrating very hard, mostly for show.

_FWOOSH!_ The life-jacket burst into flames, the fire consuming the orange material and turning it black within seconds.

The kids all gave gasps of astonishment, their eyes wide and jaws slack.

Lili smirked. "And that's what you'll be able to do once we're done," She finished. This was met with several excited cheers and all of the campers getting to their feet, excitedly inquiring what they were going to burn and where they would learn it and so on and so forth. The brunette chuckled, waving the kids away. "Be patient, be patient, Raz is the one with the permits..."

Raz, however, wasn't paying any attention. He was still standing at the end of the dock, back to everyone, the burning remains of the life-jacket still floating in the air before him.

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

Lili's brow furrowed. "Raz? Come on, snap out of it. We have a class to teach."

The goggle-headed boy remained standing there, his eyes fixated on the flickering flames, jade green eyes slightly glazed over.

**-Foolish child...-**

"Raz? Come on, cut it out." Lili repeated, reaching up to grab Raz's shoulder and shake it lightly. Raz gave no response.

**-It's been awhile, but I think it's time you finally come home...-**

He swore he could hear it, something whispering something to him... but he couldn't quite make out the words. What were they saying? Raz leaned forward slightly in an attempt to make out what was being said, the voices growing louder and louder, an indistinguishable roaring in his ears that seemed to blot all else out. But even so, he couldn't--

"RAZ!" Lili shouted, snapping him out of it. The burnt remains of the jacket fell into the water with a splash.

Jade green eyes widened in horror as Raz lost his balance and tumbled forward, Lili's fingers brushing his arm as he slipped out of her grasp. He seemed to almost hover over the lake surface for a moment, frozen, the few seconds ticking by like hours. And then he felt it, a cold, slimy hand latching around his ankle.

He didn't even have a chance to cry out before he was enveloped by the frigid, blue-green waters of Lake Oblongata.

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

Raz had only been immersed in water a few times, but each experience had been equally terrifying. Nothing could compare to the sheer terror he experienced as he plunged deeper and deeper, the light just beyond the surface fading as he sunk further down. Cold water burned as it filled his nose and ears, his entire body feeling heavy, as if it were filled with lead that dragged him further still. His chest constricted as it heaved in an attempt to make him breath. He fought desperately to keep his lips sealed shut, to keep that precious air in...

**-How much longer must we continue this game?-**

The worst part was the hands. He couldn't see them with so little light, but he knew they were there. Wrapping themselves around him, tangling him in their slimy grip. He could feel them grabbing all over, squeezing at him with grimy fingertips that were cold as death and sent shivers down his spine as he writhed in their hold.

**-I know you won't go without struggle, love, but sooner or later you're going to have to give in...-**

He was already running out of air. He could see the bubbles slowly floating up above him towards the surface as he sunk ever deeper. Down and down into the dark, just like in his nightmares but so much worse because it real, so very real.

**-I've said it before and I'll say it again... you cannot escape fate, Aquato.-**

Raz wasn't sure how long he had been under the water. To him it seemed endless, as if he had been there for hours, days. Fortunately for him, however, just as he was sure he was going to run out of air, he felt it.

**-Fine. We can play just a bit longer, Razputin, but this is going to have to end soon...-**

A slight tug on his arm and the boy found himself slowly beginning to be dragged to the surface, bubbles flying in his wake as he rose higher and higher, the shimmering mirror that made up the surface coming closer and closer...

**-You're running out of time, child.-**

The moment he broke the surface Raz let out a huge, shuddering gasp for air, water flying around him as he flailed. Finally after a few seconds of flailing he relaxed and just hung there in Lili's telekinetic grasp, dripping like a wet cat.

"Sheesh, why is it I'm the one who always has to save your ass?" Lili muttered, her annoyance an obvious attempt to hide her concern. She let Raz drop to the dock where he landed on his knees, gasping for breath.

The campers immediately surrounded him, watching him with wide eyes.

"Eep? Is he okay?"

"I thought Psychonauts could swim!"

"Why did you fall in? I thought you were an acrobat!"

"BACK OFF!" Lili shouted, telekinetically shoving the students away. She dropped to one knee at Raz's side, pulling off his goggles, which were half-filled with water, and pushing some of his sopping wet hair out of his eyes. "Are you alright, Raz?" She asked, sounding concerned.

Raz sat there for a few moments, trying to regain his breath. He was shivering even in the hot sun, his jade green eyes wide as he panted. Finally he let out a groan. "Damnit..." He muttered. "Why does stuff like this keep happening?"

Lili blinked in confusion. "What?"

The red-haired boy shook his head, reaching up to fist his gloved hands in his dripping hair. "Why does this stuff keep happening? The dreams, my powers, Kiki and Dart, the voices, this... what is going on here?" He muttered, his voice growing stronger and his frustration more evident as he ranted.

His girlfriend blinked in confusion, taking him by the shoulders and peering into his eyes. "Voices? Raz, what are you--"

"I'm sick of this! I'm sick of being played with! " Raz snapped, his entire body shaking out of anger now. "I know there's something, someone behind this, I know it! But all I'm getting is more questions and no answers... damnit!" He slammed both bunched up fists down on the dock.

"What is going on here!?"

No one had an answer for him.

--

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, things were eerily quiet. The late morning sunlight shown through the window, illuminating the only occupant of the room in soft gold.

Dart lay in one of the beds, the quilt tucked so perfectly over him that it was rather clear that he hadn't made a single movement since he had been placed there. His face was white as a ghost, the movements of his chest so small that unless one were looking closely, they probably would have mistaken the boy for dead. All was silent.

And then the boys eyes suddenly shot open. While they had once been a gentle, warm dark brown, almost like melted chocolate, they were now a bright, frigid ice blue that gave off a soft glow.

The boy sat up with machine-like movements, staring sightlessly at the cabin wall ahead of him. Then his mouth opened and in a cold, lifeless voice he spoke.

"_It is time_."

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Whoo, long chapter! But I rather like this one, as it finally answered some questions... or did it? Mwahahaha!_

_So you should totally review. If you do, I'll give you...er...dream fluffs? Eheh...sorry, I'm running out of snappy "review" lines..._


	8. Calm Before The Storm

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Eight: Calm Before The Storm**

**--**

_Annnd another chapter. This is the last one before the big chapter nine, are you excited? I had to do several edits to this one to make sure it didn't go over-the-top... in the original there was this rather icky bit where Lili randomly declares Raz is dying. Yeah, I don't know what came over me with that one. Anyway, that's fixed! I also added some stuff with the scene with Sasha, Milla, Ford, and now Oleander! Yes, I stopped neglecting Oleander. Go me._

_...I love the Raz x Lili-ness so much this chapter. Anyway, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is _Cursum Perficio (Track 1), _followed by _Freshmen (Track 2), How to Save a Life (Track 3), Over My Head (Track 4) _or _Through the Glass (Track 6). _On the bright side, after this we switch to the more dramatic music, yay! I'd also suggest _Blood Valentine _for a certain part, if you happen to have the song._

--

_It started out normally again, the dream. His faceless tormentor, whomever it was, seemed to enjoy doing this to him, twisting his world and making him believe things were finally going to be normal for once, only to make things all the more painful just as his defenses were lowered. But even so, it started out normal, and in his dreaming state Raz did not consider what was to come. In fact, it never occurred to him how incredibly odd it was that he was chasing dancing mocha frappuccinos through a field of bright red posies. Hell, it was coffee, why pause to wonder why it was doing the cha-cha?_

_And then, quite suddenly, just as he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that it would, the dream changed. Again, the field melted away, the dancing bottles, everything, and all Raz could do was watch as everything seemed to slip through his fingers like so much sand. He watched with panicked eyes as the lush world swirled and mixed together like watercolors, twisting in a shapeless, ugly blob that soon vanished, only to be replaced by something completely different._

_He was surrounded by a mob, a mass of raging people crammed so tightly together Raz could barely tell where one person ended and another began. Torches and pitchforks with thrust angrily into the air in clenched fists, the bright flames reflecting off of the gleaming, sharp objects in the night. An angry mob by itself could be intimidating, but these people in particular were truly frightening. They were completely featureless, with no ears, eyes, or noses. The only thing each had was a mouth, and they used these to their full potential, screaming out obscenities and threats into the dark._

"_Witch! She's a witch!" One bellowed._

"_Burn her! Burn her at the stake like the creature she is!" A woman shrieked._

"_Whore of Satan!" Another agreed._

"_BURN HER! BURN HER!"_

_Raz took a few steps back from the mob, his eyes wide. He then glanced around to realize he was standing on a raised pedestal above the crowd, and at the center of this was a stake with wood already piled around it, prepared for the unlucky victim. Raz stared at the wood, then back to the crowd, brow furrowed. Their shouts clearly weren't directed at him... so who was the one to burn?_

_It was then that he saw her being shoved through the crowd, her arms bound before her with rough, thick rope that tore and chafed at her thin wrists. Her face was dirty and covered in bruises, though she still looked beautiful even with her clothes torn and ragged. Her hair had been let down, though it was matted, messy, and had clearly not been brushed in awhile. Amber eyes stared blankly ahead, the shadows and bruises beneath them prominent._

"_Lili," Raz gasped, his eyes widening in horror._

_She struggled a bit as she was forced through the crowd, but with the faceless mob jabbing at her and shoving her there was little she could do but continue her fateful walk forward. People jeered at her and spat at her face, though she did her best to ignore it. Finally she had made it through the crowd and was shoved towards the pedestal, which was enough to send her to her knees on the cold cobblestone._

"_Lili!" Raz cried again, making as if to rush over to her. However, before he could do anything two men in cloaks came to Lili's side and forced her to stand once more. They then proceeded to shove her up the creaky steps of the pedestal, her dirty and already bleeding bare feet slapping against the wooden steps as she made her way up._

_Finally she made it to the top and paused, her eyes meeting his. They widened only slightly, her entire body going rigid. "...Raz," She whispered, but couldn't get anything more out before the cloaked officials jerked her towards the stake._

"_Hey, let her go!" Raz cried, rushing over to them. "Lili's not a witch! Let her go!" He made as if to grab at the officials and pull them away... but just as he was about to, his entire body seemed to freeze! The teen opened his mouth to yell something, anything, to try to get the men to stop, but for some reason his vocal cords just wouldn't work! His feet, also, seemed bound by some unseen force. All he could do was stand and watch in mute horror as the officials dragged Lili through the piled up timber. They spun her around and shoved her back roughly against the stake, then bound her to it with plenty of rope._

_With this task done the two stepped back, leaving Lili standing there alone. She looked incredibly small up on that pedestal, her entire body shaking from the cold. Her face was pale as she stared out at the crowd, though she seemed to be struggling to keep her expression stony._

"_How do you like that, witch!?"_

"_You'll burn here and then you'll burn some more in Hell, with your master!"_

"_Burn her! Burn her!"_

_Only at this time did Raz's limbs and voice seem to come free. "Lili!" He immediately cried out, rushing to her side. The moment he spoke she seemed to tense, the ice cold wind blowing her hair in her face as she turned to stare at him with wide eyes. "Lili, hang on, don't worry! I'm going to get you out of here!" Raz insisted, making as if to move around the stake and untie her._

_At this Lili gave a bitter smile. "Oh, so now you say that? Is this another attempt at mocking the witch?"_

_Raz's brow furrowed as he paused next to her. "Mocking you? What are you talking about?"_

_Lili's face became blank. "You're the one who put me here, remember? You're the one that started all this."_

"_What!?" Raz sputtered. "I wouldn't do anything like that!"_

"_That's what I thought." Lili snorted. "But... well, I guess I was wrong. When everyone said what you were, I didn't believe it... but now I can see they were right. You're a liar and a traitor, Raz." She glared at him, amber eyes cold, accusing._

"_What!? No I'm not! You know I would never do this to you!" Raz cried, backing up a step._

_At this Lili threw back her head and gave a bitter laugh. "You wouldn't? That's not what you said! You traitor... you murderer!" As she spoke her laughs slowly turned into sobs, her shoulders shaking and rubbing against the rough stake at her back. "How could you do this, Raz? To everyone, to me! How could you!? You... you filthy bastard! If anyone's the demon here it's you, not me!"_

_Raz stared at her with wide, horrified eyes as she sobbed, her tears leaving clean streaks across her dirty face. And as she cried, the crowd continued to jeer._

"_Haha, look at her cry! She thinks her tears will save her now!"_

"_Filthy witch! Crying won't save you from your just rewards, hahaha!"_

"_Burn her! Burn the witch!"_

"_Lili... Lili..." Raz finally managed to whisper. "I... I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry! I'll get you free, I promise!" He insisted._

_At this Lili's quiet sobs tapered off into another hysterically bitter laugh. "You'll get me free, you say! How can you say that when you're the one holding the torch!?"_

"_What!?" Raz's eyes widened and he glanced to his hands to see that he was, indeed, holding a lit torch in his hands. The bright orange flames flickered before him, bathing Lili's tear-stained face in a harsh glow. "No... no way..." However, as he spoke his arm was already moving on it's own, holding the flaming torch over the timber surrounding Lili, and no matter how he struggled it wasn't stopping._

_He was going to drop it. His girlfriend was going to burn to death right before his eyes, and he was going to be the one to light the fire._

_Raz looked from his own traitorous hand to Lili, his eyes wide in horror and fear. He shook his head, pleading, trying to somehow explain how he wasn't doing this! He wasn't! He didn't want her to die, he didn't want to do this, it wasn't him!_

_She flashed him a bitter, tear-stained smile. "Murderer."_

_He dropped the torch._

_The moment the fire hit the timber, the entire thing burst into flames. Instead of a slow, steady fire that grew and grew, this was an instant inferno, the heat so intense Raz felt it searing his skin through his gloves. The tongues of flame lept up and enveloped Lili in an instant, a bloodcurdling shriek of agony escaping her lips as she was burned alive._

"_NO!" Raz cried, extending a hand towards the pillar of flame. But there was nothing he could do, his feet had once again frozen up on him, rooting him to the spot. He could do nothing but watch in horror as Lili was consumed by the flames. He could not close his eyes, he could not look away. All he could do was watch as her skin blistered, bubbled, and cracked, turning black in almost an instant. Her blood may have been oil, she burned so fast, her hair turning to ash in seconds. Her tears were boiling in that fire and she was screaming until her throat finally burned away, her amber eyes still brighter than any fire until they too were gone._

_And as she burned the faceless crowd was still screaming, crying out in joy, jeering and laughing as their "witch" shrieked in agony. They cheered and they cackled as she writhed, taking glee in every moment._

_And then it was over. Her screams faded away into nothing, her thrashing ceased and she became still, the flames around her charred form still eating away at what was left. The smell of charred flesh hung in the air, the sound of the crackling flames still going long after her screams stopped. Raz stood there, jade eyes wide in horror. He stood there, entire body shaking as the crowd continued to cheer, though their cries grew silent as they faded away into the darkness, leaving only Raz, the pedestal, and the smoldering place where Lili had just died._

"_...No."_

_He dropped to his knees at the foot of the stake, still shaking in shock. His chest heaved as he fought for breath, but the moment he did he gave a violent heave, the smell of burning flesh filling his nostrils. Tears formed in his eyes as he stared up at the stake, numb with horror and grief. "No.. no... I didn't mean to do it!" He screamed, banging his fist down upon the pedstal. "I didn't mean to do it, no! NO! LILI!"_

_Raz held his face in his hands and lay there, sobbing. Tears streamed down his face as his shoulders shook, agony clear in every cry that escaped from his dry, cracked lips. And as he lay there crying, slowly the pedestal too faded away. He was left with nothing, just a little boy crying in the dark._

_And then a soft, comforting pale hand was placed on his shoulder._

"_Razputin."_

_Raz let out a full-on anguished sob, the sound echoing through the dark. "No, no, NO! Lili!"_

_A soft sigh. Two thin arms came down to embrace him, eeriely cold hands patting him on the shoulder. "There, there. It's alright. I understand."_

_The voice was cold and so were the arms, but they were a comfort nonetheless. With a loud, anguished cry Raz threw his arms around this stranger, burying his face into this person's chest like a child, his entire body wracked with sobs. And like a parent or an older sibling the stranger merely sighed and patted him on the back._

"_Oh, Razputin, I'm so sorry... I know this is hard on you. I can only imagine what you must be going through right now... but we must all go through trials at one point or another. I know it's hard... but this is your fate, Aquato. This is your destiny."_

_A whimper. "I didn't mean to do it. I didn't. I'm not a murderer... I'm not. I didn't mean to kill her."_

_A soft chuckle. "Now, now, Razputin. Denial won't get you anywhere."_

_Raz pulled away from the stranger slightly, his face covered in tears. "But... I'm not in denial. I'm telling the truth! I didn't want her to burn!"_

"_But you did."_

_Raz's eyes narrowed. "No I didn't."_

_A sigh. "Ah, foolish child, there you go again, pretending..." A pale, cold hand came out to brush away Raz's tears, but the teen smacked it away. Raz shot to his feet, hands clenching into fists at his sides._

"_Who the hell are you!?" He demanded._

_Silence for a few moments before the stranger responded. "I cannot tell you yet. But you will know soon, I promise you. Very soon."_

_Raz grit his teeth. "Goddamnit, no more of this 'very soon', crap! I want some answers!"_

"_Razputin..." A light warning in the stranger's tone this time, and again the hand came forth as if to touch Raz's shoulder._

"_No! No more of this 'Razputin' crap!" Raz snapped, batting the hand away again. "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of dealing with all this crap, I'm sick of being played with! I am not your plaything, and neither is Lili or any of my friends! I'm not your pet, so why don't you stop treating me like one and tell me who the hell you are!?"_

_Quite suddenly the same hand that had held him and wiped away his tears shot out to slap him across the face, sending stars flashing before Raz's eyes. That same hand reached out to grab the disoriented teens shoulder and slam him into a nearby, seemingly invisible wall. Raz let out a hiss of pain as he stared at his attacker with wide eyes, jade green meeting sharp, livid sapphire, the only visual he could truly make out._

"_Who am I?" His captor snarled. "I am the Messiah! I am your master! I am your caretaker, I am the hand that gives and takes as I see fit! I am trying to help you, Razputin, but all you have done is push me away! Can you not understand how frustrating this is that I am not getting through to you? Well then, I have news for you, I am done standing by idly and watching your childish deeds without acting on them!"_

_As the stranger screamed at him, the place where he was gripping Raz's right shoulder began to sear with pain, as if the person's touch were fire. Raz let out a cry of pain, reaching up to claw at his captor's arm in an attempt to get away from this searing pain. His struggles, however, only made his captor's grip tighten._

"_I do not enjoy hurting you like this, Razputin, but I will if I must! It's time to stop running, fate has caught up to you at last! I grow tired of playing this game, child! The time has come for this to end!"_

_Raz let out a choked gasp of pain, his face twisting into one of agony. As he did his captor's grip seemed to loosen slightly, as if out of pity. However, just as quickly as it loosened, it tightened again, and his captor leaned in closer to his face, cold sapphires burning with some sort of emotion Raz couldn't place._

"_I know this hurts you, Razputin. I know. It is going to be a bit of a trial... but as they say, from the brightest of fires comes the most beautiful crowns. You are going to create my crown for me, my dear child, and you will sit by my side at this new world I will make. Indeed, it will be painful for you... but once it is all over, you will understand, my dear. You will understand."_

_The stranger leaned in closer, his cold breath mixing with Raz's weakening, agonized gasps. A soft chuckle, and then chilled lips pressed against Raz's own, a whispered promise upon them._

"_Your time is nearly up, Razputin."_

--

Raz's eyes shot open, pupils so contracted they were barely visible against glazed jade. His chest heaved as he panted for breath, hands twisted in the sheets so tightly he could barely feel them. His reddish brown hair was matted and stuck to his sweat-soaked forehead, the greenish-gray sweatpants and plain white t-shirt he had pulled on to sleep in cold and clammy.

He lay there for a few seconds, breathing heavily, then let out a choked cry and rolled out of the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor with a loud "_THUMP_!" The teen nearly lost his balance right there, but somehow he managed to keep himself upright by stumbling across the room. It took a few tries to grab the doorknob with his sweaty palms, but Raz succeeded and wrenched it open. The boy stumbled past the other counselors rooms on shaky legs, feeling as if he were trying to walk on a ship's deck in the middle of a storm. The floor seemed to roll and pitch, and Raz had to press his hand against the side of the wall a few times in an attempt to keep himself upright.

Finally he managed to make his way to the bathroom, and with a shaking hand slammed the door shut. With that, the strength in his legs finally gave way. He collapsed to his knees on the cold tile and heaved into the toilet.

His stomach having been emptied of whatever had been in it, Raz slumped to the floor on his side with a groan. He lay there for a few moments, his entire body shaking violently. Everything was warm, just far too warm, burning as if he were trapped in a furnace. The cold floor pressed against his cheek was a small comfort, but little more as the room seemed to spin. He tried to move, to do something, but there was little his mind seemed to be able to grasp beyond the impossible heat and the sharp pains that shot through him with each labored breath.

After a few minutes the heat finally seemed to fade away, the pain dulling for the most part, leaving him laying there on the bathroom floor, shivering. The boy slowly sat up, thankful that the room's spinning seemed to be slowing at last. There was still a dull pain coursing through him, but it seemed to be fading. He took another minute or so to get his bearings, then shakily got to his feet and made his way over to the sink to splash some cold water on his face.

As he used a towel to dry himself off Raz got a good look of himself in the mirror. He paused at this, blinking. "Wow. I look like hell."

He wasn't exaggerating, he did look pretty bad. His reddish-brown hair was a total mess, sticking up every which way. His bangs overshadowed bloodshot green eyes, the shadows beneath them contrasting with the pale skin of his unshaven face. His rumpled clothes and the fact that he was still shaking didn't help his haggard appearance at all.

"...Geez, Raz. What are you, a Psychonaut or a hobo?" Raz chuckled darkly to himself, but the chuckle transformed into a racking cough that shook his entire frame. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the bathroom counter for support with one hand, the other one flying up to cover his mouth.

When he pulled his hand away, it was smeared with crimson.

Raz stared at it for a moment, then winced as a sharp pain shot through him once again, originating from his right shoulder. "Ack!" He hissed, gritting his teeth. "What the hell? I don't think sleeping on something funny causes stuff like this..." Using one hand he worked the t-shirt off, throwing the offending garment to the floor, eyes widening in shock at what he saw.

There upon his shoulder was a terrible burn in the perfect shape of a hand print. The cracked and red skin glistened under the bathroom light, blisters already beginning to form over it.

Raz stared. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes, then looked again. Nope, it was still there.

"...This... this was in my nightmare," He murmured, reaching up with his uninjured arm to trace the wound in the glass. He wasn't sure how he knew this, as he had never been able to remember the contents of his night terrors, and last night was no different. Even so, he knew he had received this exact same wound in his dream.

The smell of burning flesh, Lili's wide eyes starting at him, pleading, the icy grasp of the water, someone whispering terrible things in his ears as he screamed in agony... they meant something, he knew they did! But he couldn't remember anything more than flashes, everything else was just beyond his grasp...

"Goddamnit!" Raz cursed, grabbing fistfuls of his hair out of frustration, ignoring the pain that shot through his shoulder at the motion. He stayed like that for a few seconds, simply breathing, then sighed and allowed his hands to drop to his sides, watching the motion in the mirror. The boy on the other side of the glass didn't seem to have any more answers than he did.

Raz sighed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. However, upon doing so he paused, noting the blood still smeared in his palm. The teen wrinkled his nose, then reached over to flip the faucet on. The cool water poured over his hand, rinsing away the crimson fluid and sending it swirling down the drain without a trace.

Time kept moving, and he still wasn't getting any answers. Only one thing was certain at this point.

Things were definitely getting worse.

--

"...This doesn't make any sense," Milla declared, her arms folded before her, brow furrowed in concern.

"That's what Sasha and I said." Ford said with a nod.

"But... his aura is changing? And... Ferrowbrooks?" She said weakly, her green eyes meeting Sasha's, whom simply nodded. "Ayiyiyi... this is even more worrisome than I thought." The Brazillian Psychonaut murmured, sinking into one of the chairs surrounding the central area of Ford's Sanctuary. She gazed up at the various screens for a moment, taking in the slightly static-ridden image of Whispering Rock at night. She let out a sigh and continued to speak."And all this on top of his powers... Razputin's always had excellent control of his skills, so why are they suddenly acting up now? It doesn't make any sense..."

Sasha frowned. "Well, it could simply be VAS, the volatile adolescent stage... it _is _supposed to be the most unpredictable stage for psychics. Even so, Razputin should be past that by now, and I don't think he ever had any problems..."

Ford shook his head as he scratched his misshapen nose. "Can't be. I read his file, according to that the kid never had any incidents like most cadets. He's always been in complete and total control of his powers, and even if it was VAS, that never results in something of this scale... nope, our answer isn't nearly as easy as that."

"This is nuts!" Oleander growled from where he was pacing back and forth on the glass, twirling at his mustache with agitated movements. "First Raz shows up rambling about crazy dreams, his aura's changin', there's some crazy door in his head, then Ferrowbrooks? What the hell? This is like something off of some stupid show on the CW."

"No, if it were that simple by now there would be a random montage to a popular alternative rock song and we wouldn't actually have to discuss anything," Sasha pointed out dryly.

The four Psychonauts fell into a thoughtful silence for a moment, the only sounds coming from the beeps and whirs of the various machines in the room. Finally, Ford spoke again.

"There's more," He glanced over at Sasha, nodding. "Sasha, tell them what happened when you asked him about Ferrowbrooks."

Sasha let out a long sigh, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. "He gave me a completely perfect, flawless account of the incident. He did not miss a single detail, and he wasn't lying either, he was telling the truth. He has a perfect memory of the incident."

Silence for a few seconds.

"...What!?" Oleander sputtered.

"...But...that's impossible," Milla gasped, her emerald green eyes wide.

"So we assumed," Sasha drawled.

"But...Razputin...he--"

"I know, Milla. I was there. We both were."

Oleander put a hand to his head, grimacing."I don't believe this..." He grumbled. "Just when you thought things couldn't get any crazier..."

"Weren't you still going through trial stuff to make sure you weren't about to go psycho again and make more psychic death tanks around that time, Morry?" Ford frowned, folding his arms.

The coach scowled. "Look, just because I wasn't there doesn't mean I don't know how bad it was!" He snapped, eyes flashing. After a moment he settled however, expression changing from angered to thoughtful. "I didn't have to be there to remember how that kid looked when they brought him in..."

Milla slumped back in the chair, putting her head in her hands. "My God... and he doesn't know?" She asked, looking back to Sasha.

Sasha shook his head. "I did not have time to tell him... I am still unsure as to what to do about it."

"My God," The Brazilian repeated softly, shaking her head. "But... how can he possibly...?" She trailed off into silence, her pretty face twisted with concern.

Ford sighed, running a hand through his gray hair. "All questions, no answers. All we can do for now is just keep watching Razputin and hope to get more clues."

Milla sat up, brow furrowing. "Just watch him? You mean we're not going to tell him?" She gasped.

"We will. Eventually. But for now, it would probably just make things worse," Sasha explained.

Oleander nodded solemnly. "That's probably for the best... that soldier's got enough on his mind right now," He declared gruffly as he folded his arms before him.

Milla stared at them for a moment, then gave another sigh. "You're both probably right. But even so, I don't feel right hiding things from him. Ayiyiyi... what a mess."

"No kidding," Ford murmured. "This whole mess doesn't sit well with me either. And heck, that's not all... I found some stuff about HQ while I was looking through the files."

"There things going on at headquarters as well?" Sasha asked, brow furrowing. "Why were Milla and I not informed of this?"

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Oleander snapped, thick eyebrows furrowing in anger that was mostly for show. He was well aware both Sasha and Milla had higher status in the agency, he really was mostly just a camp counselor these days.

The former Grand Head shook his head. "I don't know why you weren't informed... apparently the agency's been really good about keeping things from their agents as of late," He said grimly, brow furrowing. "At any rate, it seems they've been catching signs of unknown psychic activity from within the agency. The problem is, whenever they pinpoint it to an agent and try to look into their mind, they don't find anything. They can still sense the energy, but they have no idea where it's coming from."

Sasha frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Mind control?" He suggested, quirking an eyebrow over his sunglasses.

"You would think," Ford said, shaking his head. "But no, mind control has a pretty specific psychic frequency and is pretty easy to root out when someone astrally projects in the the mind of one being controlled. So either the one doing this is just very good at what he or she does, or we've got something else entirely on our hands."

Milla bit her lip. "So it's likely we weren't informed because they may be questioning if we have this energy as well?"

Ford nodded solemnly. "It's very likely."

The scientist gave a sigh. "I suppose I cannot blame them... apparently this is a very tense time right now, they can't afford to take chances."

Oleander scowled as he began to pace again. "This is crazy! Raz is losing it, Ferrowbrooks is coming up again, the agency has no idea it's doing... what the hell is going on here!?" He yelled, hands clenching into fists at his sides. He really, really wanted to break something right now.

The coach's rant echoed through the cavern. All was silent again as Ford and Sasha glanced at each other, clearly at loss for what to say. Finally, Sasha turned and made his way towards the exit. "I'm getting a drink," He declared as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That sounds like a really, really good idea," Oleander grumbled as he followed after Sasha, short legs moving quickly to try to catch up with the German.

Milla watched their retreating backs, then fell back in her seat. "My oh my... things just seem to get worse and worse." She groaned, putting her face in her hands again.

Ford patted her shoulder. "Well, don't you worry. I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on soon enough." He said, trying to sound reassuring.

"I hope so... because I can't help but feel there's something terribly off about all this..."

--

Bedtime in the kids cabins was always an interesting affair. It was always an interesting struggle every night to try and get all the excitable little spoonbenders to stop goofing around with each other, to actually change into their pajamas and get ready for bed. Then of course there came the difficult task of trying to get them all settled into their bunks. Finally, even after the lights went off, the battle to get them all to stop whispering and giggling quietly with each other was one that lasted long into the night.

However, when all was finally said and done, the cabins became strangely peaceful. Though devilish when awake, all of the campers looked innocent and angelic (well, alright, not all of them) when sleeping, their soft, quiet snores joining the cricket songs that filled the night skies.

This peace was broken, however, as quite suddenly the springs of one of the beds sagged, making a loud squeaking noise. The owner of the bed gave a groan, then cracked open one eye.

"...Dart?"

The tired boy sat up, blinking blearily. There, at the end of his bunk, sat the formerly unconscious Dart, his eyes glowing a soft blue in the dark and casting shadows over his blank face. However, in his groggy state, the camper didn't notice how strange his fellow PsiCadet seemed.

"Dart?" He repeated. "Man, what are you doing here? I thought you were still in the infirmary. Good to see you're better, th-- ...hey, what are you doing? What's with the light? Dart, what're you--"

A flash of blinding, bright blue light filled the boys vision, followed by a sharp, stabbing pain at the back of his neck. Then, all the camper knew was black.

--

"_Oh my love, please don't cry. I'll wash my bloody hands and, we'll start a new life!"_

Raz's soft singing filled the main area of the counselors' lounge, only just barely heard over the sound of the tap running as he filled a pot with water. His reddish-brown hair was a total mess, making it look as if he had just rolled out of bed, his goggles hanging around his neck. He was still clad in his sleep clothes, which were appropriately rumpled.

Once the pot was filled about half way Raz flipped the faucet off, then turned around... only to find himself face to face with Lili. She was standing there in her black nightshirt, a pink kitty's face printed on the front, her hair out of it's pigtails for once and hanging down her back. Her hands were on her hips, face stony.

"What are you doing up?" She asked, quirking a brow at him.

Raz blinked. "Makin' ramen noodles," He explained shortly, gesturing to the plastic packet of noodles sitting on the counter.

"At one AM?" Lili glanced up at the digital clock on the microwave.

Raz shrugged.

They stood in silence for a few moments, simply staring at each other. Finally, Raz spoke up.

"Want some? 'S chicken."

Lili stared at him for another moment. Then, with a sigh, she made her way over the cupboard. "I'll get the bowls."

"Great. Try to find some chopsticks too, that's the only real way to eat this stuff," Raz said with a grin, then turned back to fill the pan with more water. Lili rolled her eyes, but placed the bowls on the table and went about to digging around for some chopsticks.

As she did this Raz finished with the water and turned to place it on the stove. He flipped on the burner, beginning to sing softly to himself once again as he did so. _"Oh my love, please don't cry..."_

Lili snorted. "Bloody Valentine? That song's old." She drawled as she rummaged past various utensils.

"Old by what, a few years?" Raz countered as he tapped his fingers on the stovetop, waiting for the water to boil. "_Singin', oh my love, please don't cry. I'll wash my bloody hands and, we'll start a new life!" _He sang softly, eyes falling closed as he grinned.

Lili outright laughed as she stood up, placing two sets of chopsticks on the table. "Your singing sucks, Raz."

Raz chuckled, cracking his eyes open. "What, you think you can do better?"

The brunette snorted. "Maybe I can."

Raz grinned, reaching over to grab the spoon he had planned on using to stir the noodles. "Show me then!" He commanded, thrusting it into her hands.

Lili blinked, staring blankly at the spoon. "Wha?"

The Psychonaut's grin widened as he stepped back, face one of childish excitement. "You heard me! Sing! I'll back you up!"

Lili gave him a scandalized look. "Raz!" She exclaimed. "There is no way I--"

"Sing!" Raz commanded again, still grinning.

Lili huffed, glaring at him. However, after seeing he wasn't going to relent, she gave a sigh, bringing the spoon to her lips. _"You mourned the death of your bloody valentine, the night he died._" She said flatly.

Raz snorted. "You call that singing? Come on woman, with feeling!"

Lili rolled her eyes, but continued, this time putting more energy into it and actually attempting to sing. _"You mourned the death of your bloody valentine, one, laaaaast time."_

"Yeah, that's it! Keep going!" Raz cheered, snatching up his own spoon. "Sing it!"

Lili couldn't help but laugh at the antics of her boyfriend before singing into her make-shift "microphone". _"Oh my love! Please don't cry! I'll wash my bloody hands and, we'll start a new life!" _She sang, tapping her bare foot to the imaginary music and swaying her hips lightly.

"_I don't know much at all, I don't know wrong from right!"_ Raz joined in as he threw an arm around her shoulders, flashing a wry grin that Lili returned. Lili's voice was a bit too high and Raz was a bit tone-deaf, but neither seemed to care. They were having fun!

"_All I know, is that I love you... tonight!" _The two finished the chorus, then collapsed in giggles.

Finally, after Lili got her breath back she spoke. "I'm not doing that again!" She declared, shaking her head as the last of her stray giggles subsided.

"Aw, why not?" Raz asked, forcing a pout as he folded his arms before him and cocked his head to the side. "I thought we sounded great! Heck, we could top the charts within a month, with our talent! What do you think? We' could call ourselves Raz & Lili: The Whispering Rockers!"

Lili snorted as she thrust the spoon back into Raz's hands. "That name was corny when you suggested it to Quentin and Phoebe seven years ago, and it hasn't gotten any better, so I don't think so. Besides, I think your water is boiling."

Raz blinked, then turned to look at the pot to see that the water was indeed bubbling quite nicely. "Oh, right. Ramen time!" He said brightly, turning back to the stove.

Three minutes later he was spooning hot, steaming noodles into two separate bowls. Once this was complete he pushed one across the table to Lili with a smile. "Bon appetite, mademoiselle!" He said with a grin and a small bow before sliding into a seat across from her.

Lili couldn't help but laugh even as she shook her head, dark hair swinging with the motion. "Dork." She chided in a tone that spoke of admiration before taking a bite of her ramen with her chopsticks.

The two sat in silence for a minute or so, both simply enjoying their meal. Finally, Lili spoke. "Wow, I forgot how good these were. I haven't had them in forever... you're a pretty good cook, Raz."

The teen chuckled. "Well, only the best of packaged, minutes-to-prepare food products for you, my dear." He drawled, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Lili snorted. "Oh, I'm impressed," She said dryly.

Raz laughed softly. "You should be." He said, taking another bite of his noodles. His bowl was already nearly empty, he'd been eating them so fast. "Man, I love this stuff. I don't think we ever had anything like this back in Lithuania."

"Lithuania?" Lili repeated, brow furrowing. "Wasn't that where you were born?"

The other teen nodded. "Yeah, though I don't remember much of it. We left the country when I was pretty young." He took another bite of his ramen and chewed with a satisfied smile. "I don't think we ever had the joys of ramen back there, though." He added.

Lili chuckled. "Maybe you did and you just don't remember." She said as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Maybe."

The two laughed quietly for a moment, then fell silent. Finally after a few seconds Lili leaned across the table. "You've got some of your beloved noodles on your face, loser," She said softly, brushing away the tiny piece of noodle from beneath his lip with her fingers. However, even after she had brushed the offending piece of food away, she stayed there.

He seemed so impossibly close all of a sudden, his green eyes bright in the dim light. She could see the stubble on his chin, she could smell the ramen on his breath. All she had to do was lean a bit closer and maybe--

Raz suddenly slid his chair back, the loud squeaking noise echoing through the lounge. "Er... I should clean up the pan and bowls, He said quickly, snatching up the bowls and pot so he could turn away quickly, trying to ignore the heat creeping across his cheeks.

Lili watched him move away, her face becoming blank. So then... he was willing to talk to her, but not kiss her. Not yet.

How frustrating.

An awkward silence filled the room, broken only by the sounds of running water.

"So... dreams, then?" Lili spoke up, her voice quieter than it had been before.

Raz's shoulders visibly tensed a moment, then relaxed. "...Yeah. You heard about that?"

"Milla told me," Lili watched him sadly for a moment, folding her arms before her. "You're not going to tell me about them, are you?"

"...I can't."

She didn't say anything after that.

A sad, heavy sort of silence came over the lounge, filled only by the sounds of clinking ceramics as Raz put the bowls and pot away. He took extra care with cleaning the chopsticks, scrubbing at them with a soft washcloth saturated with soap.

Finally, Lili spoke again. "...I'm going to bed Raz...okay?" She said as she pushed back her chair with a squeak.

"...Yeah, alright." Raz spoke, shoulders tense.

"You should too... you seem really tired, Raz." She stood, gazing at his back sadly.

Silence for a few seconds.

"...Sweet dreams, Lili." He finally said as he set the chopsticks and washcloth down, a drop of water slipping from the faucet and into the damp sink.

Lili watched his still back for a moment, then sighed and turned as if to return to her room.

"Lili..." Raz's voice stopped her, sounding quiet and small, as if he were a ten-year old child again. "You know what my Primary Skill Class is, right?"

She paused at the doorway to her room and glanced back at him to see he was still standing with his back to her, hands clenched at his sides. "Telepathy, right?"

"Yeah." He mumbled. "Do you... believe what they say about Telepaths? They say... they're the most likely to go completely insane out of all of us, you know?"

Lili frowned thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again as she leaned against the doorway. "I think whether that happens depends on the person and whatever happens to them to make them that way. Not their PSC." She murmured.

"...Yeah," Raz mumbled thoughtfully.

Silence for a few more seconds.

"Raz... please rest." She pleaded quietly.

"...I can't," Raz replied after a moment.

"You have to try, Raz, please."

He didn't reply.

"Raz..." She bit her lip, looking for a moment like she wanted to run over and embrace him. However, she restrained the urge and turned away, her shoulders hunched, hands clenched into fists at her sides as she fought to keep her emotions under control. She wanted to embrace him. She wanted to shake him, to yell at him, to scream at him, to demand to know why he wouldn't hold her, wouldn't kiss her... but she knew it wouldn't do anything. It wouldn't do anything at all.

They were both helpless.

"Just... please... just go to sleep soon, okay?"

"...I'll try."

The sound of Lili's pattering bare feet filled the room, followed by the sound of the door to her room closing behind her.

Raz was left alone in the counselor's cabin with nothing but silence for company.

--

"I have done as you requested, master."

Inoue's small voice rang through the cavern, the only sound save the beeps and whirs of various computers.

Pale lips quirked slightly. "So... it's ready, then?"

"Yes sir."

"Excellent." A pale hand reached out to pat the young girl's head, gently threading through dirty, matted locks of gold. "You have done well, Inoue."

"Thank you, sir."

A soft laugh, followed by a soft rustling of fabric as the owner of the pale appendage stood. "It is finally time, Inoue. Aren't you excited? The last of my pawns have finally been gathered! The beginning of the rapture is nearly at hand! We now need only one last piece... do you know what that is?"

"...Brother?"

"Ah, yes, very good. Little brother. He has ambled along that dark path long enough, it's finally time to bring him back home. He will be redeemed, at last! How truly exciting!" The speaker spoke, sounding honestly thrilled. "It will be good to at last have him among us, won't it, sister?"

"Yes, big brother."

A soft chuckle echoed through the cavern, which slowly began to grow deeper and louder, until it last it became a full, booming laugh that spoke of complete and utter insanity with every syllable. Finally after a few moments the laughter finally subsided.

"Indeed. Let us go then, we have no time to spare."

Pale lips twisted into a cruel, terrible, insane smile.

"Time's up, Razputin."

--

**To Be Continued...**

Du_n dun dun! Well, that's that. Next chapter is the fabled Chapter Nine, which I've been looking forward to since I started this thing. Why have I been looking forward to it? Let's just say the shit really hits the fan. After that chapter, things will never be the same._

Review for the sake of my poor beta-reader, whom I'm forcing to check over this thing very late into Sunday night!


	9. Revelations

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Nine: Revelations**

**--**

_And herein lies chapter nine, also known as the chapter where the shit hits the fan and everything you know is wrong. The past eight chapters, all the foreshadowing, has lead up to this moment. It's time for the big reveal as to what really happened at Ferrowbrooks and who our faceless villain is! You know you're thrilled._

_Now please note it's here that we take a major twist that some of you may not find so Psychonauts-ish. I implore you to keep reading anyway, even if you sit there and go "Yeah, okay, wtf?", because you may find things aren't as they seem... or maybe they are. Either way, even after this chapter, I hope you'll continue to read._

_Right, I think that's enough rambling. On with the chapter!_

_Suggested listening music is_ Kaishou _from _Gakutsuou (Track 7).

--

_" Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true."_

**--Demothenes**

"**Wake up!"**

Jade green eyes suddenly shot open as Raz awoke with a violent jerk. He was lying on the couch in the counselors lounge, which he assumed had not been his original plan when he had sat down there... whenever that had been. A soft, dim light came from the lamp on the coffee table next to him, giving the room a gentle sort of glow. The digital clock on the microwave glowed a soft blue, proclaiming the time to be around three in the morning.

Raz forced himself to sit up, giving a soft groan as he clutched at his aching head. "Ugh... I guess this is what I get for just passing out on the couch," He muttered before forcing himself to get to his feet. "Maybe I should try a bed..."

However, instead of heading for his room, the teen simply stood there for a moment, brow furrowing. Was it just him, or did something seem very off? He couldn't even remember lying down on the couch...

"Forget it... I'm probably just really tired," Raz said, making as if to head for his room. As his gloved hand touched the doorknob, however, he paused. He didn't remember lying down on the couch, but he did remember being woken by someone calling for him... but no one else had been in the room, and it hadn't seemed like a mental projection...

...So who had spoken?

After a few seconds the teen let out a long groan. "Just chalk it up as another part of this damn mystery," He grumbled, turning the doorknob and pushing open the door.

He didn't even get the chance to make it over the threshold before Milla's voice suddenly came ringing through his skull, sounding panicked.

"_Razputin!? Razputin darling, answer me!"_

Raz winced, pressing a hand to his head, which was now throbbing with more intensity than before. _"Milla!?" _He mentally replied. _"What, what is it?"_

He felt relief flood over him from the link he and the 'Mental Minx' had formed. _"Oh, thank God! Sasha and I have been trying to get in contact with you and we weren't able to...we thought you dissappeared too!"_

"_Disappeared!?"_ Raz repeated, eyes widening. _"Milla, what are you talking about!?"_

"_I... I think you need to get out here."_

The teen was already changing into his regular clothes, tugging his sweater over his head as he tried lace up his boots. _"Alright, I'm coming!"_

"_Razputin!? Are you there?"_ Sasha's voice suddenly echoed through Raz's head as well, sounding more in control than Milla, though there was a slight edge to it.

"_Sasha! What's going on!?" _Raz asked as he laced his other boot with lighting speed, telekinetically wrapping his scarf around his neck and pulling his leather jacket over his shoulders as he did so.

"_We're not sure. The campers are missing, and we can't seem to establish a connection with Ford or Oleander," _Sasha explained.

"_We couldn't contact either you or Lili for awhile... it's as if everyone's psychic signatures have simply disappeared," _Milla added.

Raz paused, blinking in confusion. _"Dissappeared? But that's impossible!"_

"_Indeed, it is very distressing,"_ Sasha somehow managed to agree in monotone.

"_We're going to keep searching, you should hurry out and help! Those children could be in danger!"_ Milla stated.

Raz nodded, though neither of the older agents could have seen it. _"I'm on my way." _With that, he broke his link with them, snatched his goggles from the bedside table, and rushed out the door. Up in the sky, thunder rumbled, a biting wind blowing through the trees, shaking their sturdy trunks and sending leaves everywhere.

A storm was coming.

The teenage Psychonaut had only just barely made it down the wooden steps when he skidded to a stop, eyes widening in surprise.

There, standing dead center on the path, was a young man who appeared to be about his age. He was clad in a long silver trench coat covered with all sorts of buckles, the ends of the coat and the edges of the sleeves colored a dark blue. He also wore tight, black pants that fit well to his legs, and boots the same color of his coat with dark gray, belt-like clasps. Around his neck was a scarf much like Raz's own, though it was a dark blue with thin, light blue stripes, and atop his head sat a pair of goggles with dark blue lenses. His longish, silvery blond hair hung in front of his eyes, eyes that were a very distinctive, frigid sapphire that Raz knew all too well.

"Good evening, Razputin," He called out, his voice ringing through the night, crisp and clear. The moment Raz's eyes met his the stranger's face spread into a chilling smile. "Or should I say, _Vritra_."

Raz stood there, frozen in shook. "You... you're..." He swallowed, unable to form the words.

He knew that face, and at the same time he didn't know it at all, because he had never seen it before in his life. But at the same time... he knew that face.

The stranger cocked his head to the side, chuckling softly. "Good, you recognize me, if only vaguely. I was worried that little sleep I put you into would mess with your memory a bit, but you seem fine."

"You..." Raz shook his head, then tried again. "Who are you!?" He demanded. "How do you know my name?"

The blond's smile widened. "Oh, I've known your name for a long time now, Razputin. It's up to my family to know these things, after all... but I suppose it's only fair that I should tell you mine." He spread his arms out in an almost welcoming gesture. "My name is Nereus Galochio."

The thunder cracked once more, shaking the heavens.

"...What?" Raz gasped, his green eyes widening. "But... that's impossible. The Galochios... dad said you were all dead..."

"Dead?" Nereus gave a harsh laugh. "Oh no, no. Though we are dwindling in number, we're not dead, most certainly not. Clearly your father has misinformed you of many things."

"Razputin!" Milla's voice suddenly rang through the trees, causing Raz's eyes to shift from Nereus to over the blond's shoulder. There were Milla and Sasha, charging up the path to meet them. Milla's narrowed green eyes flashed from the silver-clad figure to Raz, a frown gracing her beautiful features. "Who is that!?"

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you, Agent Nein, Agent Vodello," Nereus drawled, though he never took his eyes off of Raz. "Unless you'd like all your little PsiCadets to die, at any rate."

At his words the trees all rustled, and thirty small pairs of sneakers hit the forest floor as the campers quite suddenly lept from them, landing with a grace Raz highly doubted would be physically possible normally. They formed a sort of protective ring around Nereus, their bodies limp, eyes glazed over and glowing a soft blue.

Both Milla and Sasha skidded to a stop, Milla's eyes widening in horror. "The children!" She gasped.

"I currently have them in a state of altered consciousness," Nereus explained calmly. "This state brings forth any latent psychic powers, powers that they probably couldn't access even after going through all the training they can. For a grown adult this wouldn't be so dangerous... but without my help a child's brain cannot handle this much activity. If I were to suddenly, say, force them to drop the trace, or put any sort of stress on them..." At this the blond simply flicked his fingers in one child's direction. That child's eyes suddenly widened and he let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching at his head as he collapsed to his knees.

"Stop that!" Milla shrieked, taking a step forward. Sasha reached out to grab her arm to stop her, though his gaze remained fixed on Nereus.

Nereus's smirk widened. "As you can see, the results would be... less than pretty," He stated, flicking his fingers again. The child quieted, his arms falling back to his sides. He stood to his feet, eyes fluttering half-closed again as if nothing had happened. "So, unless you want that, you'll stay where you are."

Milla looked livid, but stayed where she was. Sasha stayed put as well, his face completely devoid of emotion, though his body remained tense, as if ready to attack when given the oppurtunity. "Who are you?" He demanded, keeping his eyes fixed on the back of Nereus's head.

Nereus chuckled. "Who am I?" He repeated, cocking his head to the side. "I am your soon-to-be King. I am your messiah. I am your savior. You may not understand it yet, Agent Nein, but I am here to save you all. Our world is a twisted, dark, terrible mess but at last I am going to fix it for all psychic kind. It is destiny. It has taken me many years, but at last judgement day is nearly upon us, the day when I will create paradise. My name is Nereus Galochio, and I have come for the last piece so I can at last set this plan in motion."

Milla's eyes narrowed. "And that is the children? You're using children?" She hissed, her voice coming out both angry and terrified at the same time, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms.

"Children?" Nereus repeated, then chuckled. "No, not children, though they are indeed a part of it. I will need soldiers, after all, and psychic children are some of the best I can possibly get. As their minds are so easily molded, they are chock full of latent power. This power will probably never be accessed by your agency... but with my abilities, it is possible. Over the past two years I have amassed a decent number of pawns."

"The kidnappings..." Raz murmured. "You were the one behind them."

Nereus smirked. "You could say that." He then glanced back at Milla and Sasha. "I wouldn't try that if I were you, Sasha. Contacting the agency will get you nowhere, I have people wormed deep within your ranks. As far as Psychonauts HQ is concerned, this is just another peaceful night at Whispering Rock. You'd be wasting your time."

Sasha's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, one hand already on his communicator. "And I'm supposed to believe that?"

Nereus shrugged. "I suppose that's up to you. Regardless, the result will be the same. No one's coming to help you, not that they could do anything. Ford Cruller and Morceau Oleander, at the moment, incapacitated, so they aren't exactly options either. I originally planned for the two of you to be unconscious as well for this, but I suppose this works just as well. I'll just ask you both to remain where you are for now." Sasha glanced over to Milla, then wordlessly let his hand fall back to his side. They were backed into a corner for the moment, or so it seemed.

"Very good," The blond chuckled, before turning back to Raz. "Now then, where were we?"

Raz glared at him, hands clenched into fists at his sides, his frustration clear. "What do you want, Galochio?" He demanded. "If it wasn't the kids, then what are you here for?"

"What do I want?" At this Nereus's twisted smile widened even more. "Isn't it obvious? I came for you, Razputin."

Up in the sky, the lighting flashed, illuminating Nereus's pale, twisted face.

"...Me?" Raz repeated, eyes widening in shock.

Nereus grinned. "Yes, Razputin. And I guarantee you will come without me having to use a bit of force."

"Oh really?" Raz said, bristling at this. "What makes you think I'll go with you? Unlike you, I'm not crazy."

Nereus cocked his head to the side, still grinning. "Really now? Oh, there are many reasons why, but I'm sure you'd much rather hurt me before listening. So allow me to first suggest that you follow your colleagues' example and don't move... unless you want these children to die, at any rate." He added, shifting his gaze over to the zombie-like campers for a moment.

"You..." Raz trailed off, his rage rendering him speechless. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his jade green eyes livid. At this point he wanted nothing more than to launch himself over to his newfound enemy and bash his face in... but he couldn't do that, not with all those kids in danger. What could he do?

"Why me?" He finally asked after a few moments of silence. "What more do you want from me? It was you that caused all those dreams, wasn't it? You're the one who's been tormenting me all this time... what do you want? You guys were the ones that cursed my family to die in water, you guys were the ones who killed most of my family, killed my mom, left just me and my dad... you've nearly eliminated us all by this point, what more could you possibly want?"

"Cursed yours?" Nereus repeated. Then he laughed, a quiet chuckle at first that slowly escalated into a full, booming, insane cackle. "You mean you really don't know!? Your father never told you the whole story!?" Up in the sky the storm continued to brew, the thunder and lighting crackling above with shorter intervals in between, the wind howling as if in anguish. It blew strands of silvery blond in front of Nereus's eyes, sent the ends of his coat and scarf billowing around him, adding a dramatic effect.

"...What whole story?" Raz repeated, his brow furrowing. "My father just told me you guys cursed us to die in water, that you were a rival circus family..."

"A rival circus family!?" Nereus exclaimed, then let out another laugh. After a minute his laughter finally subsided and he stood there, an almost sad smile on his face. "My poor, deluded child... you truly don't know, do you?"

Raz said nothing.

"Razputin... you are cursed. Your entire family, the entire Aquato bloodline, is a vessel for the entity known as Vritra. This creature is a murderous beast that sleeps within you, in control of powers beyond your wildest dreams. Every generation this beast is reborn into a child, and when that child reaches adolescence it is unleashed upon the world. They become a killing machine, whose sole intent is the destruction of mankind. For generations now, this has been the Aquato's sole purpose, to carry on the beast."

"...A demon? That's impossible!" Raz sputtered, almost laughing."You have to be lying! My family is _possessed_? Yeah right!"

Nereus shook his head. "Say what you'd like, Razputin, but you know in your heart I speak the truth. Every generation this beast is unleashed, and every time the Galochio family has stopped it. Do you understand, Razputin? We have been devoted to this and nothing else for centuries, because if we weren't, who would be there to stop you? Many of us have been injured, tortured, and killed... all simply to prevent your family from wreaking havoc on this world."

"So then... in truth, who do you think is the more evil one, here? The family that curses the other to die, or the one that has been tormenting and killing the first for centuries? We were simply doing the task set before us," Nereus murmured, his sapphire gaze sorrowful.

Raz swallowed, then shook his head. "No, no... that can't be right. That doesn't sound like my family at all... this is too crazy. It can't be true..."

But somehow, even as he spoke, he knew who was really lying here. He knew. His dad had always been hesitant to speak of their family's past, had only spoken distantly of their family having many enemies, always promised to tell him when he was older... was this what his dad had been avoiding talking about all this time?

"Don't listen to him!" Milla called out, causing Raz to blink and look up from the ground to her. She shook her head, her long, silky hair moving with the motion, her lips pressed into a thin line. "He's lying, he has to be!"

Sasha nodded in agreement. "A demon? You know full well there is no such thing. This man clearly speaks nonsense in an attempt to win you over to his side, whatever that may be."

Nereus chuckled. "You think so, Nein? Oh, but Razputin's already proved Vritra's existence well enough, as well as his loyalty to me. He did that quite nicely at Ferrowbrooks."

Up in the sky the thunder rumbled again, lighting flashing across the sky and momentarily illuminating Raz's confused gaze. "Ferrowbrooks?" He repeated. "But... what does Ferrowbrooks have to do with this?" With his eyes fixed on Nereus, he didn't notice the way his fellow agents stiffened.

"Why don't you tell me, Aquato? What were you doing there?" Nereus asked, speaking gently, as one would speak to a young child who was confused.

Raz's brow furrowed. "I was investigating the reports of psychic activity in the area, but the place burned down the night after I showed up. So what?"

The blond's face twisted into a smirk again. "Are you sure?"

"What?" Raz's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, I'm sure."

"You mean you haven't been told this either?" Nereus sighed, shaking his head. "My oh my... it seems everyone has been keeping information from you as of late. Poor little Razputin."

"What the hell are you babbling about!?" Raz demanded, fists clenching. "What does Ferrowbrooks have to do with this?"

Nereus's smirk widened at this, his sapphire eyes gleaming. "Well... how do you suppose you have these memories if you weren't even at Ferrowbrooks that night?"

Up in the sky, the clouds gave another rumble. A single raindrop fell upon Raz's head, followed by another, and then another.

"...What?" Raz gasped. "What do you mean... I wasn't there? Of course I was there, I remember the entire thing!"

"Are you sure?" Nereus asked, quirking an eyebrow at the boy.

"I... I... yes, I'm sure!" Raz sputtered. "I know I was there!" He turned to Sasha and Milla, his body shaking slightly. "Come on guys, tell him. I was there, right? You know I was there!"

The two older Psychonauts shared a glance, both seemingly unsure of what to say. Finally, Milla shook her head. "I hate to say it darling, but... he's right. You weren't at Ferrowbrooks that night, you couldn't have been." She said, emerald eyes pained.

Another flash of lighting, illuminating Raz's shocked face. "...What?"

Sasha nodded in agreement. "You went to the town exactly one month earlier, one of the first agents to investigate... but you never returned, Razputin. The agency was baffled by your disappearance, and that was why investigation continued... they were searching for _you_."

Raz appeared to be stunned into silence at this, his jade green eyes wide, not even noticing as the rain picked up in intensity.

"They found you a week after Ferrowbrooks burned in a nearby town." Milla continued for her partner, biting her lip as she looked away from Raz's face. She couldn't bear to look at him. "You were beaten nearly beyond recognition. After we brought you back, you said you couldn't remember what happened. So, while we don't know exactly _where_ you were... you couldn't have been at Ferrowbrooks that night."

Silence for a few moments.

"But... that's impossible." Raz murmured. "I remember being there... I remember the whole thing, but nothing about what you're saying."

"Repression," Nereus spoke up calmly. "One of the ego's most fundamental defense mechanisms. I suppose it's not too surprising, when a person experiences something that traumatic the mind will try to suppress it, just put it away, to forget... but of course, that doesn't change what happened." When Raz glanced back to him he chuckled. "Here, let me explain."

"Indeed, Razputin, you were correct on some points. You were indeed at Ferrowbrooks that night, though your role in the entire mess is quite different from what your psyche may have tried to cover up the incident with. Now you see, four weeks previous to that night, when you first arrived, that was when Vritra first awakened. Fortunately for the town, however, this was where I happened to situate myself. So naturally, when I found you I did what had to be done, I contained you in my base of operations. I couldn't have you destroying everything, oh no, that wouldn't work well for me."

Jade green eyes widened in shock as Raz stood there, his mouth going dry. "No..." He murmured. But even as he spoke, he could see it... memories flashing before his eyes of the small town, of him bidding his fellow agents good night, of a sudden splitting headache that lead to him stumbling from the town, of a pair of sapphire eyes...

Nereus continued as if Raz hadn't spoken. "I spent the next four weeks trying figure out how to control this beast within you... and on that fateful night I finally figured it out and decided to test your abilities out. You single-handedly annihilated that entire town, killings hundreds of innocent civilians. You destroyed your fellow agents effortlessly, it was truly amazing to watch." At this Nereus chuckled, a terrible gleam in his eyes.

Raz took a shuddering breath. He could see it, the town bathing in flames, people running this way and that, could feel the power flickering at the ends of his fingertips...

"However, once all this was said and done... you quite suddenly regained control. Just like that. To this day, I'm not entirely sure how it happened. All I know is you did it, and in your horror over discovering what you had done, you ran. You eventually collapsed in a nearby town, where, unfortunately, your pathetic agency found you before I did. A pity, really... and of course, once it was all over, your mind was unsure of what to do... so it chose to try and cover up the incident, replacing your true memories with figments and wishful fantasies in hopes to pretend as if Ferrowbrooks never really happened."

All was silent for a few moments, save for the fall of the rain and the roar of the growing storm.

"...No." Raz gasped out, shaking his head. "No, that can't be right... I would never, I wouldn't--"

Nereus grinned. "Indeed. It was all you, Razputin. The entire Ferrowbrooks incident was your doing... or should I say, Vritra's."

"You're lying." Sasha spoke up, eyes narrowed from behind dark sunglasses. "Demons, curses, whatever... such things are a part of fairy tales, nothing more. They don't truly exist in this world."

Milla swallowed, but nodded in agreement. "Yes, he's right... don't listen, Razputin, this man is feeding you nothing but lies!"

Nereus gave a bitter laugh at this. "You think so? Then how else can you explain the Ferrowbrooks incident?" He asked, glancing back at the two older agents and smirking.

"...I'm not sure." Sasha said after a moment of silence. "But there has to be a proper explanation."

Nereus snorted. "Always the man of science, I see. You have no place here, Nein. There are some things science cannot explain."

Sasha's hands clenched into fists at his side. "So you say. Do not listen to him, Razputin!" He called out, trying to get the boys attention.

"Yes, Razputin, don't listen to me!" Nereus called out, mocking. "Listen instead to the man who wouldn't tell you that the entire time you were saying things you couldn't possibly have known! Listen instead to the woman who didn't even notice!"

"We were going to tell you!" Milla cried, the raindrops soaking through her colorful clothes, dripping from her hair and mingling with the tears in her eyes as the lightning flashed overhead. "Please, Razputin, don't listen to him!"

Sasha shook his head. "Razputin, he is only trying to trick you, don't fall for it!" He called out, his dark hair plastered to his pale skin in the rain.

Raz didn't appear to be listening to any of them. He simply stood there, his entire body shaking as if in shock. "No... no, that's impossible," He finally mumbled, reaching up to grip at his head, grabbing at fistfuls of soaking wet, reddish brown hair. "I'm not... it doesn't make any sense. My family's not... I wouldn't..." He shook his head violently, letting out a scream of frustration. "It's not true, it's not! You're lying, you have to be lying! I was there at Ferrowbrooks, I know I was! I didn't... I wouldn't..."

But no matter how much he cried out, no matter how much he wished all that had been said could be taken back, could be proved wrong... it wasn't going to happen. Because no matter how many words were used to sugar coat it, to cover it up, they couldn't change the truth, no matter how ugly. They could not hide away the memories Raz could now see as clearly as if they had just happened, they could not erase what he now knew, they could not change anything.

Was he really a monster inside? Raz couldn't be sure... but his memories couldn't lie to him anymore any more than Sasha or Milla could.

Nereus watched him in silence for a moment, looking almost sympathetic."Perhaps _you_ wouldn't have, Razputin," He murmured gently. "But you are not the true inhabitant of that body. The truth is, Razputin, you are nothing more than a vessel for that beast. Everything you know now, your personality, your thoughts, your feelings... none of those are real. They are simply temporary things that your mind brought together, instincts that your body acted on, a sort of autopilot, if you will. You do not truly exist, Razputin Aquato, and your time has long since run out. Soon enough, those false thoughts and feelings, everything will cease to exist, leaving you as you are meant to be... a vessel, nothing more."

"...I don't really exist?" Raz murmured after a moment of silence, his eyes wide, face disbelieving.

He already knew the answer, and Nereus's simple nod confirmed it.

At this single motion, Raz's legs finally gave way. He dropped to his knees in the mud, the rain pouring down around him, the trees of the forest shaking as if doing some sort of twisted dance in the torrential winds of a violent storm. He clutched at his head as his shoulders shook violently, jade green eyes pained. "No... no... this can't be right... no..."

It just didn't make any sense. But at the same time... it all did. The way his father had treated psychics, Ferrowbrooks, the dreams, the way his powers had been freaking out as of late, the way he had been acting... everything. It all led to this, this single horrifying moment, where everything he knew was wrong and the very foundations of his existence seemed to be crumbling around him as if they were nothing at all. In an instant, it was as if everything had come apart at the seams.

"I know it's hard, Razputin," Nereus murmured quietly, startling Raz's troubled thoughts. The goggle-headed boy blinked blearily, gazing back up at Nereus, jade green eyes communicating the feeling of being completely, totally lost. "I understand... it's all so sudden, I know. But you cannot run from the truth forever, Razputin. This is what you are. Ferrowbrooks, the dreams, everything... it has all lead up to this, Razputin. I've been trying to show you this for a long time, even going as far as to connect our minds, to try and guide you to the correct path through dreams... at first, I feared it wasn't working, but it all lead up to this in the end. You have been lost for a long time, my dear child... but your borrowed time is up. It's time to come home, Razputin."

"...Home?" Raz croaked out weakly, his voice coming out impossibly small, barely heard over the rain that was quickly becoming a downpour.

Nereus smiled. "Yes, Razputin. Home. You see, I have a plan for you. While my ancestors choice was merely to eliminate your family, to try and simply remove the vessels from the earth, I have a use for you. The power you hold within you is great, Razputin, incredibly so. I have found a way to harness it. I have my soldiers, Razputin. I have my troops, I have everything I need. The board is set, and I have all the pieces... all but one. Now all I need is you, my dear child."

"...Me," Raz repeated quietly.

"Yes, that's right!" Nereus said, a terrible, maniacal gleam coming to his eyes. "Do you understand, Razputin? No one else would accept you... but me, I have a place for you! I can use you, Razputin! Come with me! Come with me, and together we can change this world, you and I! There is no other place for you but at my side!" He extended his pale hand towards Raz.

"Come with me, Razputin. I will take you home."

"He's lying, Razputin! Don't listen to him!" Milla cried out. She made as if to run over, but Nereus raised his other hand without looking away from Raz as if to gesture towards one of the children. Sasha reached out to stop his partner once more, though his gaze remained fixed on Raz.

"She's right, Razputin. Don't go with him. I... we don't know what you are for sure... but it doesn't matter." The German Psychonaut said, shaking his head. "This young man speaks fairy tales and nothing more. Don't listen to him."

"Please, darling, don't do it!" Milla agreed, pleading. "Please, just... I can't even begin to imagine what must be going on in that head of yours, but believe me, you don't want to do it! This man is crazy, Razputin, don't go with him!"

"And again, they speak their lies. Isn't it pathetic, Razputin?" Nereus spoke over them, laughing quietly. "They say what they want, but you can tell, can't you? My words have already planted the seed of doubt in their minds... is Razputin really who they think? After all that's happened these past few weeks they can't help but wonder, in the backs of their twisted little minds they begin to question if what I speak is true. But you already know, don't you Razputin? You know the truth now. You--"

"SHUT UP!" Raz snapped, effectively cutting off everyone. "Just... just shut up for a second. I..." He bit his lip, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I just... I need to think for a moment. What am I? I... I don't know... but... the dreams, the door... no, I'm just me, I'm Raz... I'm Raz... I'm not... I won't go... I can't... I, I may not be sure of what I am, but I'm not a weapon. I'm not... I'm Raz... I'm a Psychonaut..."

The blond snorted. "A Psychonaut? Razputin... don't you realize? You haven't been getting assignments or news all this time... don't you know why?" He asked gently, though there was a hint of horrible amusement in his eyes. "You've been left out of quite a few loops lately, Razputin. Your foolish agency... it doesn't see you as a Psychonaut anymore."

Jade green eyes snapped open and Raz looked to Nereus again. "...What?" He gasped.

Nereus' mouth spread into a smirk. "...You're not a Psychonaut anymore, Razputin. According to the agency, you have not been once since Ferrowbrooks. Can you blame them? The agency had no idea what happened... for all they knew, you were a time bomb, set to go off at any moment. They gave you small missions, kept you on the fringes of the agency just in case... but to them, you are as much of a lost cause as Ford Cruller. And I assure you, once my people report what's been happening to you at this camp... well, that will be it for you. To them... you aren't a Psychonaut anymore."

Raz took a shuddering breath. "...No. No, that can't be true... it can't... the agency... it... it wouldn't... it _can't_!" He cried, his throat constricting. "I... after everything I've done... no, it can't be true! I've gone on missions, I keep getting news, I..." The teen trailed off again. Yes, he had been getting missions and news... but it had been very rare lately, and being sent back to live with his dad until he was of age, he was practically out of the way. Technically... when he thought about it, it made sense. "Sasha, Milla... he's lying, isn't he?" He looked to his fellow agents, his eyes wide, pleading.

Even if he was questioning, even if he wasn't sure what had happened... surely, after everything he had done, the agency would still accept him, wouldn't it? Surely, even if Ferrowbrooks was true... surely the agency would realize, wouldn't they? They would help him fix it? They wouldn't just abandon him!

Milla shook her head. "N-no, of course not Razputin, it's--"

"It may be true," Sasha interrupted her softly, raindrops sliding down his face.

The Brazilian's eyes widened and she turned to gape at her partner. "What!? Sasha... you can't..." She trailed off, her throat tightening.

Sasha took a deep breath. "He hasn't been getting missions, Milla. It's true... the way they have been treating him, it is much like just before they finally decided to discharge Ford," He murmured grimly, feeling a pang as he looked to Raz's shocked face. "Razputin... I'm sorry... but it is very possible that he could be telling the truth."

Raz stared at him. "No... no... Sasha, Sasha... you have to be joking... this can't be... I..." He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth. "NO! No, no, no! This can't be right! I'm me! I'm Raz! I'm a Psychonaut! I'm not... no, no, no, NO!" He screamed, his entire body shuddering in the rain as his pained cries echoed through the night.

Nereus gazed down at him with something that almost seemed like pity. "My poor, poor deluded child... abandoned by your agency, lied to by your friends... don't you see, Razputin? There is no place for you here," He murmured. "There is only one place left... and that is with me. Come... take my hand, child. You don't need to suffer like this any longer." He murmured, his smirk widening into a grin as he extended his hand again.

The teen didn't seem to hear him. He knelt there in the mud, shaking his head, tears in his eyes as he gripped at his skull. "It's not true... it's not... no, no, no..." He murmured.

The blond gazed at him for a moment, then sighed. "It seems even now you have difficulty making the right decision. Pity. But very well, I will help you one more time." He glanced over to his left and nodded.

There was a soft, muffled cry, followed by a rustling sound. Then quite suddenly Dart came into view, the blonde girl Raz seen earlier by his side. Dart's eyes were glazed as he made his way obediently over to Nereus, led by the blonde. Being dragged behind them was Lili, still in her nightshirt, a multicolored helmet to block psychic powers placed upon her head and psitanium handcuffs clasped around her wrists. The moment her amber eyes caught side of Raz they widened and she gave another rough jerk against her bonds, but the children's grips were unnaturally strong.

Raz felt as if his entire body had gone completely numb. "...Lili?"

To her credit, the brunette didn't even cry out as she was unceremoniously shoved to her knees at Nereus's feet. She glared up at him from her place, her amber eyes projecting her threats just fine even with her mouth gagged.

Nereus merely chuckled, reaching down to place a hand on her helmeted head and turn her roughly so she was facing Raz. "I'm truly amazed... even as Vritra's vessel, it seems you somehow managed to create feelings for this girl, and she in return. In truth, she only fell for the synthesized personality your mind created for you... but even so, it's quite amazing," The blond murmured thoughtfully as he weaved his fingers though Lili's shining, silky locks. He glanced up at Raz, eyes narrowing. "I would much prefer that you come to me without forcing me to resort to such means, Razputin, but you leave me with no choice, and I have grown tired of talk. You will either give yourself to me, or she will die. Even a creature such as yourself should find that decision easy enough."

At these words Lili's eyes widened and immediately began yelling from behind her gag, shaking her head violently. 'No, don't do it! Don't do it!' She wanted to shout, but her bonds had her rendered completely helpless.

Sasha and Milla, meanwhile, seemed at a loss for words. What could they do? If they moved to try and rescue Lili, they could potentially end up getting the other hostages hurt. At the same time, it wasn't as if they could tell Raz to just give himself up either!

They couldn't do anything. It was up to Raz and Raz alone.

Raz sucked in a shaky breath, the rain thundering around him, the lighting streaking across the sky. "...I..." He breathed, then shook his head. "I..."

"Tick tock, Razputin. I'm growing impatient," Nereus drawled, an devilish smile on his face as he twirled Lili's hair around his fingers. "Make your choice."

"I..." Raz shook his head again, clutching at his head. Everything was just so confusing! Nothing made sense! What was he supposed to do?

"Razputin..." Nereus pulled back on Lili's hair, eliciting a yelp of pain from behind her gag. "You'd better hurry, or I just might--"

"FINE!" Raz snapped, his voice echoing through the trees. He got to his feet, panting, his sopping wet bangs hanging in front of now dull green eyes, droplets of water trailing down his worn face, his clothes covered in mud. "...Fine," He panted out again. "I'll... I'll go. I'll go."

"No!" Milla shrieked, her emerald green eyes wide, Sasha's arms the only thing holding her back even as his blank facade came down. The Brazilian woman continued to struggle against him, tears streaming down her face and mixing with the rain. She had to do something, she had to! But there was nothing, absolutely nothing that she could do. "Razputin, please!" She pleaded. "Don't listen to him! He's wrong, he's wrong! Don't do it, darling! Don't... I..." She shook her head, biting her lip. What more could she say? What more was there to say?

Sasha just shook his head, his grip tight around his partner. "No, Razputin... this man speaks nothing but nonsense and lies, he's merely trying to confuse you. Do not fall for it!"

Lili was shaking her head violently, eyes wide, her screams muffled from behind her gag, pleading. _'No, no, don't do this! Don't do this for me! Raz, Raz, please!'_

Raz didn't seem to hear any of them as he stood there, the rain streaking down his face. It was as if everything had simply disappeared, leaving him and Nereus, enemies by birth.

The blond's grin widened. "Really now? Are you sure?"

The teen swallowed, then nodded.

He was a mess. He wasn't sure what he was anymore. The Psychonauts, the curse, Ferrowbrooks, Sasha, Milla, his dad, Lili, himself! What was real and what wasn't!? Who was he!? He wasn't sure anymore. The only thing he was sure of was that something was very, very wrong. Whatever it was, it was dangerous... so maybe it was for the best that things had to be this way.

"Just... just promise me you won't hurt them, okay? Leave them... leave _her_ be. Please," Raz pleaded quietly.

Nereus rose a brow at this. "You know your feelings, your love for them... it isn't real. You--"

"Goddamnit, shut up! I know already, I know!" Raz snarled, shaking his head, his fingers clenched so tightly into fists that the nails were digging into the leather of his gloves. "Just... please... just promise me you won't hurt them. That if you have me, you'll let them go."

The silver-clad teen cocked his head to the side for a moment. Then finally he sighed. "Very well. I'll indulge your foolish wish, child. I have no use for the girl or the other agents, I'll leave them be. Now come, fulfill your part of the bargain." He extended his hand once again, still smiling that same, twisted smile.

Raz stared at the hand in silence for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder at Sasha and Milla, both of whom had fallen silent, though their faces still portrayed their message loud and clear. The younger agent bit his lip. "Guys..." He mumbled quietly. "Well... I'm sorry things turned out this way."

"Razputin..." Milla murmured. "You're not..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Please don't..."

Sasha nodded in agreement. "This is foolishness, Razputin."

Raz gave a soft laugh at this. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better. But there's no point in lying to me anymore. Thanks for everything." With that, he began to slowly make his way down the path, stepping past the campers as if he didn't even see them. Finally, he came to a stop before Lili, gazing down at her. She was starting to cry, tears forming in her eyes, a silent plea as she gazed up at him.

_'Don't do it. Don't go. It's not true.'_

God how he wished he could listen.

"Lili..." Raz sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, a sad ghost of a smile coming to his face. "I'm sorry... but he's right. I can't pretend anymore. I don't know how much is true and how much isn't... but I can't lie to you anymore. I... I really might have been the one to kill all those people at Ferrowbrooks. And if that's true... for all I know, so is everything else. For now... I have to go. It's better this way. ...Do you remember what you asked me earlier? You asked what happened to the boy you fell in love with. Well... I'm sorry, but I think the boy you fell in love with may have been a lie."

Lili was crying even harder, shaking her head, her soaking wet hair flopping with the motion as the heavens roared above, her tears mixing with her mascara and leaving dark, smudged lines across her face. Raz wanted nothing more than to reach down and brush away those tears, to comfort her, to tell her he was kidding and Nereus was wrong and he wasn't doing to do this...

But he couldn't. He was done lying, and she deserved so much better.

Raz almost reached out to touch her, but he restrained himself, jerking his hand away. "I'm so sorry, Lili. I..." He looked away from her, biting his lip.

"Goodbye, Lili."

The moment he said this the girl's sobs became even louder, becoming heard even through the gag and the downpour, her shoulders shaking violently as she cried. Nereus stared disdainfully at the sobbing girl, wrinkling his nose.

"How pathetic. Inoue, this girl has served her purpose. Let her sleep for now," He commanded.

The blonde glanced up at Nereus, then nodded, her eyes fluttering closed as she held her tiny hands over Lili. Lili's quite suddenly sat upright, her eyes flashing blue for a moment, then slumped bonelessly to the ground.

When Nereus noted Raz's wide eyes he gave a small smile. "Worry not, Razputin. My sister has merely put her into a deep sleep. She will awaken in a few hours time, perfectly fine. Now then... shall we?" He asked, holding out his hand.

Raz glanced from the pale, outstretched hand to Nereus's face, then back again. Finally, he reached out and with a wet slap he grasped the blond's hand in his.

Nereus's grin widened. "Excellent."

The moment their hands connected Raz's entire body jerked, almost as if he had grabbed onto a livewire. His eyes widened, his face freezing in an expression of shock. Then, just as Lili had, his eyes fluttered closed, and with a groan he slumped forward, unconscious.

Nereus caught Raz in his waiting arms, which had been spread out in an almost welcoming gesture. He held the unconscious teen to him for a moment, the boy's head resting on his shoulder, an almost loving expression on his face. "At last..." He murmured softly.

He then turned to glance over his shoulder at Milla and Sasha, whom had remained where they were. Milla was still sobbing openly and Sasha's expression was one of disgust. This only seemed to make the blond grin wider.

"Well then... I do believe that is all. Truly pathetic, how easily persuasive you all are, once all is said and done," Nereus murmured lazily as a soft blue, psychic energy began to surround him, Raz, and all the campers. "Do make sure the poor girl makes it out of the storm alright, will you? I would hate for her to catch a cold and make a liar out of me. I can teleport us all well enough, but there's not much I can do for her at this point." At these works his smirk widened, his eyes glittering with triumph.

"Farewell, Agent Nein, Agent Vodello." With that, he, the campers, and Raz vanished in a flash of light.

And the storm raged on.

--

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Because You Love Him

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Ten: Because You Love Him**

**--**

_Annnd finally chapter ten. Yay for double digits or something? This chapter is fun... lots of fun stuff like horrible torture, angst, and lots and lots of super special guests at the end. By super special guests I mean the other campers, and you know you love that. I even edited things so now there are more campers, whoo!_

_You know you're thrilled._

_Oh, the drabble that begins this chapter is not mine. My best friend Kaya, came up with it and put it together as a gift me. I thought it was absolutely amazing and a good peek into Nereus's character, so I asked her if I could use as an introduction for this chapter, and she said I could. So do be sure to tell her how awesome it is, Kaya is absolutely an amazing writer._

_Well... onward, I suppose._

_Suggested listening music is _A Song of Storm and Fire _from _Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (Track 11), _followed by _For The Renunion (Track 5) _and then _Fallen _by _Sarah McLachlan (Track 9).

--

The town was on fire.

Not that 'on' fire was a description that did it justice. It was more 'in' fire than anything else. The flames had spread and flowed like water from a cup, outwards and over and up and around 'til it covered everything and nothing was left unsinged.

Nothing, that is, but he who puppeteered the blaze and his rapt audience of one.

Nereus was excited. Not that excited was an accurate expression. He was ecstatic. Even from behind his shield of blue--a brilliant, shifting sphere of azure, like a soap bubble of some fantastic, wild dream--he could feel the heat of the flames as they licked eagerly, hungrily, at everything within their reach. The power was amazing, its sheer mass would overwhelm any mind that tried to contain it, or even simply had the misfortune of coming too close.

Perhaps that was why Razputin had screamed so much during the first few moments.

Razputin's voice, however, had already been lost within the many before he finally ceased crying out. All around, people were screaming. Heroes, as they tried to hold back the flames and were engulfed in an eye's blink. Cowards, who tried to escape but met the same fate.

It was rather funny, how the fire made all equal. It gave mercy to no one. Not to the mothers, desperately reaching to protect their children, even as the flames lapped at the hem of their dresses. Not to the young, as they screamed and screamed for their parents, and thought nothing of saving themselves. Which was all for the better, after all, it was hopeless. No one of this town would live to remember this unholy night, as the streets were lit up as day by an inferno only hell could have produced.

And a glorious blaze it was. The heat so great that the area encompassing Razputin seemed like a contained updraft, the wind whipping around like some mad, tortured beast. The ends of Razputin's scarf--a curious thing that it was not yet ash, but it mattered not--danced on the wind, swirling 'round and 'round overhead like an ominous vulture. It was poetically fitting.

Razputin himself floated motionless. There wasn't the slightest twitch, the boy didn't even seem to be breathing. It was almost like there was nothing truly left in that tiny, fragile little frame. Like a statue, but not, for a statue is a man-made thing, something chipped away at until it no longer holds its natural, true form, but the form man has forced upon it. But this, this was pure, raw, and timeless. Lifeless.

It was as the tails of green danced as a macabre augury, the flames spat and leaped and roared with an insatiable fury to the skies, and the sound of hundreds cried out as one in despair, like some fervent, twisted hallelujuah, that Nereus came to a revelation.

The world was _beautiful_.

--

The first thing Raz was aware of was a soft, periodic beeping noise, joined by the soft hums and whirs of various mechanical instruments.

The second thing he was aware of was the throbbing pain in his skull, pounding as if someone had taken a jackhammer to it.

The third thing he was aware of was that his arms and legs were bound, his body pulled into a spread-eagle position that didn't seem to help the dull ache coursing through it. He could feel cold metal clamped around his wrists and ankles, holding him there.

On top of all these physical sensations, he felt strangely... empty. Normally Raz was used to having all sorts of thoughts and sensations buzzing in his head, faint hints of emotions and psychic signatures that were not his own... but there was nothing. Any extrasensory perception he had seemed to be quite suddenly gone.

"Nnn..." Raz let out a soft groan, jade green eyes fluttering open. At first all that met his vision was a dull blur of grays and blues, but after blinking a few times this changed. He found himself to be in a great cavern, easily the size of a large gymnasium. The cavern was partially submerged in water, which seemed to glow an unnatural blue. Up above this great pool was placed several metal walkways (Raz assumed these led to different caverns), which lead to a great, raised circular platform made of glass. The eye symbol Raz knew all too well by now had been painted on the platform, a stark contrast to the soft blue glow that shown through the glass. Placed all along the platform were various machines, from which came the beeps and whirs Raz had been hearing. Many holographic, light blue screens were projected around the area, all showing various readings, camera shots, and other things.

Raz found he had been placed at the farthest edge of the platform, his arms and legs bound so he was hanging at the center of a great, incomplete metal ring. While it was thick near it's base the stainless steel seemed to taper off towards the top, where it finally broke off, symmetrical with the other side. Various, small light bulbs were lined all along the base and one large one floated at the very top, though they seemed to be off for the moment.

The teen's face was one of groggy confusion as he glanced around, curious as to how he had gotten to this strange place. Last he checked, Whispering Rock didn't look anything like this, unless they had gone through some remodeling overnight and had--

Suddenly the events from the night before all came flooding back. The campers, Lili, Nereus, Ferrowbrooks, Vritra, everything. Raz's face became one of shock for but a moment, then slid away to become one of helplessness.

Oh God... what was he going to do about this? What could he do?

"Ah, I see you're awake." Nereus's voice rang through the cavern, drawing Raz's attention to the main walkway again. There stood the blond, wearing a smile that one probably would have mistook for relief had it been anyone else. "Good, good, I was becoming worried."

"Nereus," Raz spat out, loathing evident in his voice.

"Tsk, my, aren't we cheerful this morning?"The blond drawled as he made his way down the walkway towards Raz, his boots clanging softly against steel. After noting Raz's furtive glances at his bonds he chuckled.

"Don't bother trying to escape them, that was designed with you in mind. You'll find any physical struggles to be quite pointless, and the psitanium injections have rendered your mental powers equally useless," He explained. Raz's face twisted into a scowl, which seemed to only make Nereus happier. "So then... what do you think of my base of operations?" He asked, gesturing around the cavern. "Truly magnificent, is it not?"

Raz snorted. "Oh, sure. Yeah, uh huh, you bet, real homey for an evil lair."

Nereus quirked a brow at him, but chose not to dignify that with a response. Instead he simply watched Raz for a moment, his sapphire gaze boring into him, saying nothing. Finally a slow smile crept across his face. "Truly magnificent... for years I have imagined this moment, but nothing I could have ever imagined could compare to this. You have no idea how long I've waited. I've been slaving away for three years, working all this time towards my goal. Building this place, gathering my soldiers... it has been a difficult journey." As he spoke Nereus began to pace along the podium, gesturing around his sanctuary. "But someone needs to do it, after all. It has been hard... but in the end, it will all be worth it."

"What end?" Raz spoke up, his voice ringing through the cavern and drawing Nereus's attention back to him. "Seriously, what is this plan you keep babbling about!?" Raz was tired. He ached all over, his head hurt, he was cold, and his world had been completely shattered in the past twenty four hours. He was getting very, very sick of all this. The least he could do was get some answers.

Nereus cocked his head to the side. "What is my plan? My plan is the plan that will save this world. This world is one of all sorts of horrors, violence, hatred, disease, poverty, war... it is a terrible place, but I'm going to fix it. I will meld it into paradise, the perfect utopia over which I will rule. There will be no more wars, no more pain, nothing more of the sort... but in order to do that, this world first needs to be cleansed. It is covered with filth and impurities that no one has been willing to address, but I will see to it that it is all finally disposed of!"

"And what are these 'impurities'?" Raz asked, though a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach seemed to say that he already had a vague idea.

The twisted smile stretched into a grin. "Isn't it obvious? They stretch across this world like a plague, destroying everything. They have no respect for anything, not each other, not nature, nothing. They love only themselves, and hate those who are different, never truly accepting anything even slightly different from them. They parade around as if they own this world, and yet in truth they are deaf, blind, and weak." At Raz's furrowed brow Nereus chuckled. "Non-psychics."

"...Non-psychics?" Raz gasped, his eyes widening. "You're going to just kill them all? The psychic population is barely a thousandth of the regular population! If you killed them all... that's practically genocide!"

"Perhaps... but the world would be better off without them, don't you agree? Liars, cheaters, murderers... twisted fools who cannot even begin to comprehend anything beyond themselves. They're so wrapped up in their petty wars over land and money that they've lost sight of all that's important. And the way they treat others different from them... it sickens me. I will only be delivering the judgment they have long deserved," Nereus drawled.

Raz watched him in silence for a moment, jade green eyes smoldering. "Idiot. Not all non-psychics are like that," He finally said. "And you have no right to judge them, given the fact that you seem to meet quite a bit of your own criteria."

Nereus scowled at him for a moment, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. However, after a few seconds he seemed to calm down. "Foolish child... you were not taught properly, so I will let that slide," He hissed. "And you are indeed right, not all non-psychics are like that... on the outside, at any rate. But even so... at the backs of their minds, the potential is there. You're a telepath, Razputin, you should know it better than anyone. The darkness that whispers at the backs of their minds, hissing out insults and dark desires even as they flash their phony outward smiles. Indeed, on the outside, some may appear good... but you know as well as I do that this is a lie."

"But they don't act on those thoughts!" Raz snapped, jerking in his restraints. "And they do good too! Doesn't that mean anything to you!?"

The blond sighed, shaking his head. "My poor, delusioned child... you have so much yet to learn. But even now, you have to admit... a small part of you does find my idea of paradise enticing. Think of it... you're sick of hiding your powers, aren't you Razputin? Oh, sure, you're well accepted in the psychic community, but outside you know what they would say, you experienced more than enough in your childhood! They treat us like we're not even human! Animals to be locked behind cage bars, wild beasts, circus freaks! Wouldn't you like to be free of that? I am going to give psychics that freedom! I will unite us all under one flag, I will cleanse this world and fit it for our purposes! There will be no more pain, no more sorrow, we will be free to show our true selves in broad daylight!"

When Nereus had begun speaking he had been quiet and calm, but as he went on his voice picked up in pitch and intensity until he was ranting, practically hysterical. His sapphire eyes widened as he raved, his hands shaking, face fixed into an insane grin. "Don't you understand, Razputin!? Can you not see it, the horrible disease that lingers over this world!? I am going to be one that finally cures us, can't you see that!? I am going to be the savior of this world!"

"I... this... you're insane!" Raz sputtered, taken aback.

At this Nereus outright laughed. "Insane!? Perhaps, dear Razputin, but then, true visionaries are always called that before their time."

Raz shook his head. "No, you're definitely insane. Has it ever occurred to you that a lot of psychics are just as bad as non-psychics?" He demanded.

"Ah, you do bring up a valid point, my dear Razputin," Nereus said. "But this is no matter. Those who do not fit my criteria for paradise will simply have to meet the same fate as the rest." At this he threw back his head and laughed again, his laughter ringing throughout the cavern.

His captive watched him in something akin to numb horror, jade green eyes wide. Finally after a few moments of silence Raz found his voice once more. "And how exactly are you going to do this? There's no way a bunch of brain-washed kids and some idiot traitors who fell into the wrong crowd are going to be enough for the mass genocide of the entire planet!"

Nereus's laughter tapered off and he glanced back at Raz, breathless from laughing so much. "Oh, Razputin... haven't I already told you? That's where you come in. You are going to be my weapon."

"Your weapon?" Raz repeated, brow furrowing.

"Yes," The blond said with a nod. "You cannot even begin to comprehend the power that resides within you, child. It is beyond human comprehension, limitless. You were able to completely decimate Ferrowbrooks in minutes, and that was when you were only at about ten percent of Vritra's full power. Just imagine how easy it would be for me to wipe away everything with that at my disposal!"

Raz tensed at the spoken mention of the beast, but scowled and shook his head."I don't know and I don't care. I'm not your weapon."

Nereus cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure about that, Razputin? Just think, we've already had this conversation. Need I remind you of what you are? I doubt you've forgotten already. With your condition, you have no place in this world anymore. Nothing more than a vessel... but to me you are so much more than that. No one will accept you... but at my side you have a place. At my side your abilities are a gift, not a curse!"

His captive said nothing, so Nereus continued. "Just think of it, you and me... together, Razputin, we can save this world! With you at my side, this dream of paradise is at last within the grasp of all psychic kind! Doesn't that matter to you? Don't you understand, Razputin?"

Raz took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to speak. "Of course I understand. Now you understand this... there's no way in hell I'm going to do anything like that, and don't you dare spit off more of that 'only I will accept you' bullshit! You may have me here, but I came here to save Lili, not for you!" He shook his head, biting his lip. "I... I don't know what's true and what's not anymore, but I don't buy your bullshit 'monster in my head' story just yet. Even knowing about Ferrowbrooks, about my family, about the agency... I may not know what I am anymore, but I do know what I'm not gonna be! And I know I will never, ever follow your orders and comply with your insane ideas. Just because you're a maniac doesn't automatically make me one! I am not your weapon, and I never will be!"

The teen's final words hung in the air, seeming to ring throughout the cavern with harsh finality. After they faded away they left an eerie, tense silence behind, which was only broken by the beeps and whirs of the machines. Nereus stood there in silence for a moment, fixing Raz with a blank stare, which his captive returned with a defiant glare.

There was no taking back what he had said now, and he didn't plan to.

"...So, that's how you feel then," Nereus finally said, his face set into a grim expression. "Pity, but you never really had a choice in the matter."

Quite suddenly, two of the lights set into the metal ring Raz was hooked up to lit up, glowing a bright blue. The entire structure gave a crackle of energy and the boy frowned in confusion, eyes narrowing. What was--

Raz's eyes suddenly shot open, pupils dilating and a scream tearing from his throat as his back arched. Pain, shooting through his nerves like shattered glass, coursing through him like electricity. Like a thousand blades stabbing at his flesh as one, daggers in his back, twisting, twisting, needles piercing through him.

"I figured you would be defiant at first... granted, I hoped to not have to resort to such measures, but you being you, I suppose it was inevitable," Nereus commented, speaking as one would comment on the weather or some other common, everyday occurrence. "It was doubtful that you would wish to surrender yourself to me willingly... so of course, I had to find some other way of bringing Vritra out."

As Nereus spoke he stepped up to the machine, running his pale fingers almost lovingly across the cold, metallic surface. "Two years ago, when I first found you at Ferrowbrooks, I ran a number of tests. I soon found the only proper way to bring it out was when you were under intense physical stress, and even then it was only at a basic level. So I created this little toy to properly extract the creature. The pain you are experiencing now would be enough to kill a normal person." He glanced up to stare at Razputin, a grin coming to his face. "Claim how powerful your mental strength is all you want, sooner or later this will crush you and any mental blocks you may have. And when it does, you will submit, and I will have my weapon."

Raz let out another cry, writhing in his restraints, seemingly not even really hearing his captor. However, after a few seconds, he managed to grind out a reply. "Ahhhh! I... I will never... GAH! I will never submit to you!" He snarled out.

Nereus chuckled at this. "You think so? Let's see how you feel when we raise it up a notch, then." He gave a small nod, and two more lights lit up on the ring.

Raz threw back his head and let out a much louder, bloodcurdling scream, jerking in his restraints as his face twisted in agony. It was a constant, rolling pain, like being covered in acid, eaten alive. Fire licking at his limbs, burning his flesh, setting every nerve ending ablaze as if his blood were acting like some form of oil.

He could smell the coppery smell of his blood, taste it in his mouth… he must have bitten his tongue at some point, but he couldn't recall doing so. He ground his teeth together, trying to keep another scream at bay as the pain tore through him, feeling as though it would never end. There was no release, no break, just that horrible pain.

Nereus gave a sigh as he watched Raz writhe in his bonds, levitating so he was eye level with the teen. "My poor, poor Razputin. It's not truly your fault that you're like this, after all, you are so misled... but even so, that does not that change the fact that you have much to learn, and I cannot tolerate such defiance in you. You must understand, the purpose of punishment is not to hurt, it is to teach a lesson. I do not do this because I wish to see you hurt, but out of love... do you understand?"

Raz let out another cry, thrashing in his bonds. He had to get out of them, he had to escape! He had to make it stop, it hurt too much, he couldn't stand it!

The metal held fast.

Nereus chuckled. "Now, perhaps at this you may be confused... but Razputin, it is true, I love you like a brother. My poor, misled brother... worry not. Soon this trial will be past, and everything will be perfect. We will go down in history, you and I. I will be the messiah, and you will be my instrument, the one who made saving the world possible. It will truly be amazing... you're going to love it, brother, I know it."

Raz's chest was heaving as he hyperventilated, sweat beading across his forehead, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. It felt as if his head were being split in two, as if he were being torn apart from the inside, liquid fire was coursing through his veins. A great, high-pitched noise was ringing in this ears, growing louder and louder, nearly drowning out Nereus's voice...

"Shhh, shhh..." The blond murmured, reaching out to touch Raz's face. The teen jerked away, gritting his teeth.

"N... no! Don't... get away... AUUUUGHHH!" Raz gave another violent jerk as the pain rose in intensity once more, squeezing his eyes shut.

Nereus let out a long sigh and reached out again, grabbing Raz's chin a bit forcefully, holding it there. "Look at me, Razputin. Look upon the face of your master and try to wrap your tiny brain around this."

Raz stared at him, his eyes half-lidded and twitching his teeth ground together, his breath coming out in short, weak gasps. Then he spat, hitting Nereus squarely between the eyes.

The blond pulled back, making a face of shock and disgust. He reached up to swipe the liquid away, then shot Raz a look of outrage. "Clearly this lesson has not yet begun to take hold. Let's change that."

The blue lights brightened as two more came on.

Green eyes shot open once again and Raz threw back his head, his screams mixing together into a great, keening wail. And as that hit his ears, Nereus's face twisted into that terrible smile.

"We'll see how long you last, brother."

Raz kept screaming.

--

Lili awoke to the distant beeps and whirs of various computers as well, the sound of several familiar, low voices buzzing just quietly enough for her to be unable to catch what was said.

The brunette let out a soft groan as amber eyes fluttered open, blearily taking in the sight of Ford's sanctuary. She slowly forced herself to sit up, arching her back and stretching her arms over her head, silky hair trailing down behind her. She then glanced down at herself to see that she had apparently changed out of her nightshirt at some point, and was now clad in her usual black top and plaid skirt.

"Huh..." She murmured absently, running manicured fingers over her bruised wrists absently as the events of the night before came back to her.

Lili vaguely remembered awaking a small amount of time after Raz had been taken, she had been completely inconsolable. In fact, she had gone right back to her cabin and changed, all set right then and there to go after her boyfriend. Fortunately, Milla had the mind to stop her, and had pointed out there was no way they were going to find Raz by just rushing out like this. The Brazilian woman had finally managed to get Lili to set down in one of the chairs in Ford's Sanctuary, and evidently at some point she had dozed off.

She sorely regretted this now, as she now had quite a bit of back pain.

Ford, Sasha and Milla were standing over at the other edge of the central platform, grouped in front of one of the holographic screens and talking in hushed voices. Upon seeing them Lili's brow furrowed and she stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes.

"Well? What's going on?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Milla glanced back at her, looking fairly worried, but upon seeing Lili was awake she pasted on a smile. "Lili, darling! Good to see you're awake. Morry's still out in his cabin, apparently whatever happened to him still has him knocked out. ...Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Well, I spent the night in one of these things, how do you think I feel?" Lili drawled, gesturing to a chair as she walked over to the little group, taking her place next to Milla. "What's up?"

"We've been trying to contact Headquarters for awhile now," Sasha explained, looking irritated. He lit another cigarette as he spoke, apparently oblivious to the fact that he already had one lit. "Our attempts have been... less than successful."

Lili frowned. "Why, is it not going through?"

"Oh, it went through alright," Ford grumbled. "Headquarters just ain't listening."

At Lili's furrowed brow Milla sighed and brushed a strand of hair behind her ears. "We tried to contact headquarters and explained the situation, but they looked at us like we were crazy," She said, sounding uncharacteristically bitter. "According to them nothing happened last night... it's just like that man said, he obviously has people on the inside."

"So... they're not gonna help us look for Raz, then?" Lili asked, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

Sasha shook his head. "They aren't going to send any agents to help look for someone they already think is dead."

"...What?" Lili sputtered.

The German Psychonaut shook his head and looked away. "According to the agency, Razputin Aquato is dead. They claim he died at Ferrowbrooks," Though his face was blank, even Sasha was unable to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"...What the hell!?" The teen exclaimed. "But... they know we found him two years ago! He recovered right in the agency's infirmary, I was there! They know he didn't die there!"

"Maybe so," Ford sighed. "But they did only just find him, and Razputin wasn't able to provide an explanation of exactly what happened there. Of course the agency would be suspicious. That explains why they've only been giving him small missions and haven't been recording them. If it turned out something was wrong and anything happened, they could just write him off without incident." He said, sounding a little bitter.

He knew all too well how that part of the agency worked.

Lili's hands clenched into fists. "There's no way my dad would have allowed this!"

Ford smiled grimly. "Maybe so, but unfortunately your dad doesn't have as much say when the counsel all votes against him. That's how politics works."

"So... basically, all one of Nereus's men would have had to do is say something happened with Razputin, and they'd write him off? Just like that?" Milla gasped. "That's terrible!"

Sasha sighed. "Maybe so, but that's how the agency is. He's an excellent agent, a prodigy...he could have been the next Ford Cruller. But the incident at Ferrowbrooks has made him dangerous, so the smallest thing against him... the Agency can't take that chance," He muttered, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "An amazing agent... but too much of a liability at this point. To say he's dead makes things far easier on their part." He shook his head. "Nereus was... unfortunately, quite right in informing Razputin that in the agency's eyes, Razputin is no longer a Psychonaut."

"Raz..." Lili murmured, her fists clenched so tightly her nails were biting into her palms. As much as she longed to disagree, she knew the older Psychonauts were right. She knew the agency inside out... and if worse came to worse, they wouldn't hesitate to do what had evidentially been done.

An excellent agent...but too much of a liability. That was all Raz was to them at this point.

"Damnit," She cursed. For once, Milla didn't get after her for swearing. They were all upset. Who wouldn't be? Raz had been close to all of them, and to have him suddenly gone, just like that, to find the agency had simply dropped him... it was a lot to deal with.

After a few moments of silence Lili spoke again. "Well... who cares? I don't need the agency," She stated, turning and heading towards the tree stump. "I'll find him on my own."

"Lili!" Milla exclaimed.

"What? The Agency just wrote him off. So what? I don't need their help, I'll do it myself." The brunette said, not even slowing down a bit.

Sasha frowned. "That's rather reckless, Miss Zanotto... we have no hint as to where he may be, and his communicator was left here. As far as we know, he could be anywhere," He pointed out, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"So? Who cares? I'll find him." Lili stated plainly.

Ford let out a sigh. "Well, I guess we could do sweeps..." He muttered.

"Do what you want. I'm going to find him."

Sasha held out a hand as if to stop her, albeit a bit half-heartedly. "Miss Zanotto, perhaps it would be wise to at least formulate some sort of--"

Lili spun around to face them, amber eyes blazing. "For the last time, do what you want," She hissed, her hands still on her hips. "I don't care what you do. I don't care that I don't know where he is. I don't care if I have to search the whole damn country, the whole damn _world_. The agency may have given up on him, but I never will. I'm going to find him, no matter what."

With that, she turned and hopped into the tree stump, her pigtails swirling after her like streamers.

Sasha blinked, then let his gloved hand fall to his side. He let out a long sigh, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Ach... women," He muttered.

Milla grinned. "There's no use in trying to stop her, darling. She's in love." Her partner grumbled a few things in German under his breath, sounding irritable. The Brazilian just chuckled and shook her head, then headed over to the tree stump. "Come on, Sasha, let's go."

The German Psychonaut let out another sigh, glancing over to Ford. "Do you think you can start sweeps for his psychic signature from here?"

Ford grinned and gave a salute. "You bet. I'll get Morry on the case once he wakes up and call for you the moment we spot anything, Nein." Sasha nodded in thanks, then turned and followed Milla to the Transit System.

As soon as they had left Ford turned back to the computer, gazing up at the screen. He then let out a long sigh and began to set it up to conduct sweeps.

He hoped they found Razputin soon. All this excitement really wasn't good for him at his age.

--

The Transit System dropped Lili off just outside of the Main Lodge. The moment she stepped out of the hollowed out log the brunette gave a sigh, using her fingers to brush her hair quickly into proper order. She really hated riding that thing, it always messed up her pigtails and whatever she happened to be wearing. Once this was complete she looked around, a frown coming to her face. Sure, saying she was going to find Raz was all well and fine...but where could she start? That psychotic blond-haired bastard could have taken him anywhere, and she was only one person!

This might be harder than she thought.

Lili let out a sigh, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Well, maybe she should just take her car and drive out somewhere, surely she'd find something eventually. She slowly began to make her way down the path towards the parking lot, her eyes fixed on her feet.

"Hey, look, it's Lili!" A loud, bright, cheerful voice suddenly broke through Lili's depressed thoughts, causing her to stop in her tracks.

"Oh em GEE, Clem! You're right, it is! YAY, LILI!" A second, higher pitched voice exclaimed.

"What the?" Lili glanced up to see two figures, a boy and a girl, come running towards her. The boy's red hair was cut in a dorky bowl-cut and stuck up over a brightly colored headband. He was clad in bright red shorts and a white t-shirt that had the words "2005 Cheerfest! Show Your Spirit!" written in bubble letters on the front. The girl's red hair had been pulled into a ponytail with a brightly colored scrunchie, and she wore a similar t-shirt, as well as a bright red mini-skirt and leg warmers. The two wore identical, slightly creepy grins with pure white, perfect teeth, and both had seemingly recently bandaged wrists.

"Wow, she looks so sad, Crystal! We should cheer her up!" The boy exclaimed when they finally reached Lili.

The girl nodded in agreement. "What a great idea, Clem! Come on Lili, turn that frown UPSIDE DOWN!" She cheered.

"Whoa, little dogies, slow down!"A young man called from further down the path. A white, slightly worn cowboy hat was placed upon his head, a few strands of his sandy blonde hair peeking out from underneath it. He was clad in a simple, plaid button-down shirt and jeans, with a denium jacket pulled over his shoulders.

"Yeah, seriously! Wait for the rest of us, man!" Called the African American boy next to the teen in the cowboy hat, his great big afro adding an extra foot to his overall height. He wore a dark green hoodie and baggy khaki pants.

Lili's eyes widened. "Chops and JT?" She sputtered.

The African American boy's face brightened. "Hey Lili! What's up, eh?"

"I... what are you doing here!?" Lili asked, blinking in confusion.

"It's a long story," A quiet voice suddenly said in her ear. Lili jumped, backing away a few steps and looking to her right as a young girl with shoulder-length, layered brown hair and a cute, tanned face came into view. She was clad in a dark blue and white striped t-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt beneath it, as well as a white pleated mini-skirt.

"Milka! Ack... sorry, I didn't see you there." Lili said.

The brown haired girl simply flashed her a small smile as a young man came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, an old navy hat placed over his slightly shaggy blue hair. He flashed Lili a shy smile, wearing a black shirt with the word "Psychonauts Navy Division" printed across it in white and jeans. "Hey Lili," He said. "I hope the fish haven't gotten too lonely without me here to talk to them."

Lili shook her head. "Oh, no, don't worry, they haven't. But seriously, why are you all--"

"Miss Zanotto." Lili blinked, glancing over to see a young man with curly, reddish-brown hair, clad in a pinstripe suit with a cane in his hand (though it was clear he really didn't need it and it was just for show). Behind him stood a tall, lanky man in a plainer suit, though a furry Russian hat was placed upon his head.

The curly haired boy gave a small smile and extended his hand. "I am glad to see you have done well for yourself. I trust my protection services weren't needed for such a capable woman?"

"Ah..." Lili took the boy's hand and shook it, a small smile coming to her face. "No, no, I was fine. Thank you for your concern though, Maloof. You too, Mikhail, sorry to say I haven't seen any bears."

The Russian man let out a small grunt. "Bears are hiding. They fear Mikhail."

"Heeeey, pretty flower girl! Glad to see you're still hanging in there." A young man with shaggy red hair waved as he lazily made his way up the path. He was clad in a black zip-up hoodie with red horizontal stripes, as well as a tight pair of khakis. In spite of these differences, he still had a very familiar, slightly worn scarf around his neck.

A girl with bushy black hair braided and tucked behind her ears was jogging just behind him, a pair of headphones dangling around her neck. She was clad in a black spaghetti strap top with a picture of red flames on it and baggy khakis, and there were small flame earrings dangling from her ears. "Hey Lili!" She grinned as she came to a stop. "Quentin and I were on tour, but we heard you needed help so we decided to cancel our tour to see what was up."

Lili's eyes widened. "You two were on tour? You guys didn't need to--"

"Awww, don't worry about it," The boy grinned as he threw an arm around her shoulder. "What are friends for, huh?"

"I... I guess?"

"Greetings, earthling. Good to see the Zirconians didn't get to you." A young woman with short cut blonde hair said as she walked up to the group. She was wearing a blue jumpsuit and had a space helmet tucked under one arm.

"Chloe?" Lili blinked, brow furrowing. "Is that you?"

The blonde smiled. "Yes, earthling, it is me. I could not get the Nils human and the Elka human to come, however, apparently they're both busy with an earth child at the moment. The rich human and her friend also declined, claiming something about pedicures. I could not seem to find the Nose human either..."

"Er...that's fine..." Lili wrinkled her nose at the thought of seeing Benny again. "Look, it's great to see you all again... but seriously, why are you all here?"

"Oh, it's a great story. You wanna hear it?" A nasal voice said from behind her. Lili cringed and turned to see a boy with short brown hair tucked beneath a dark green beanie, clad in a simple button down shirt and jeans.

"...Vernon," She groaned. "No, please, it's okay, someone else can--"

"It all started like three weeks ago, or maybe it was four," The boy began. "I was laying in bed, wearing my gray pajamas. I really like my gray pajamas, because they remind me of the old pair I used to have that I really liked before Lady chewed on them. She carried them around the yard and--"

"Hey, Vernon, man, we don't have much time. Stick to the point, man!" Chops exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, right, anyway. So I was drifting to sleep, and I had this really weird dream--"

"And Raz was in it," A quiet voice suddenly spoke up. Lili turned to see a boy with light blue skin and dark blue hair, whom was quite tall and lanky. His eyes had a sunken in sort of look to them, and he was clad in a simple, dark green turtleneck and khaki pants. He flashed a small, shy smile. "Hey Lili."

Lili frowned. "Dogen... you've been having dreams with Raz in them?"

The blue-skinned boy nodded. "Yeah... I haven't been able to really sleep for weeks now, and that hasn't happened since I stopped makin' peoples heads explode," He said. "I've been having dreams with Raz in them--"

"Yeah, we were having them too!" Clem interrupted with an excited nod.

"Yeah, they were really scary!" Crystal agreed. "We were really worried!"

"And it turns out we've all been having them, though why my consciousness was aligning with you earth people is beyond me," Chloe said.

Maloof nodded in agreement. "It was quite odd, so I finally decided to call up my people and see what was up..."

"We figured Raz was in trouble, so we all decided we'd come here." Elton finished for Maloof..

"Yeah, we just couldn't go on without making sure our hombre was okay!" JT said with a grin.

"That's right." Dogen said with a nod, turning to Lili. "So...where's Raz? What's going on here?"

All was silent for a few moments, save for the chirping of the birds in the trees and the chattering squirrels that Dogen shot a nervous glance at. Finally, Lili bit her lip, hugging her arms to herself.

"Raz..." She muttered. "...He was taken captive last night. By this... weird freak, I think he knew Raz somehow... he said some strange things."

"Strange things?" Milka repeated quietly, brow furrowing. "What sort of strange things?"

Lili shook her head. "Just... things. The point is... Raz is gone, guys. And so are all the campers," She finished quietly, hanging her head.

"Raz is...gone?" Dogen repeated.

Lili nodded.

"But... that's crazy! Raz is a Psychonaut!" Clem exclaimed.

"Yeah, a double Psychonaut, even!" Crystal added. "How could he--"

"Look, I don't know, alright!?" Lili snapped, her hands clenching into fists. "He's just gone, okay! I don't know what was up with him, he wouldn't tell me! All I know is there was something seriously wrong and he was just getting worse and worse and he just wouldn't tell me what was up and then this guy came and now he's GONE, alright!? He's gone!"

A heavy silence hung over the camp, each of the former campers rendered speechless by the normally apathetic Lili's outburst.

It was then that Milla and Sasha finally came out of the Transit System and came rushing over, both looking confused.

"Look, it's Milla and Sasha!" Clem exclaimed.

"Yay Milla and Sasha!" Crystal cheered.

"What the... children, what are you all doing here!?" Milla asked, brow furrowing.

"We came to help Raz, eh?" Chops exclaimed with a light wave.

Sasha frowned. "How do you all know what's happened to Razputin?"

"Well, it all started three weeks ago, when I was--"

"Someone other than Vernon," The German Psychonaut stated, holding up his hand in an attempt to keep the nasally teen from continuing.

The campers all glanced at each other, then Dogen finally shrugged and scratched his head. "Dreams. We were all having dreams about Raz... and we were worried, so we came here. And then Lili said Raz was kidnapped... and... well... we wanna help," He explained quietly. The other campers all gave nods of agreement.

Both Sasha and Milla glanced at each other. "Well... we could certainly use the help, darling," Milla said, raising a perfectly arched brow.

Sasha sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right..." He looked to Lili. "Well, Miss Zanotto, what do you think?"

The brunette blinked, glancing up from the ground to the campers' hopeful, determined faces. She then gave a small smile. "Well... I guess they might not be so useless..." She said, folding her arms before her.

The former campers all gave a unanimous cheer.

"Hey, losers!" A voice with a heavy lisp suddenly called out. Everyone turned to see a blue-skinned boy with a bright orange crew cut sauntering down the pathway, clad in a plain, slightly torn and wrinkled sleeve-less white shirt and baggy khakis with a hole in one knee. He was tall and lanky with a decent amount of muscle, and his teeth were certainly better from what they all remembered, but he was still easily recognizable. "I prefer to be fashionably late," He explained as he came to stop beside everyone else, jamming his hands into his pockets and looking around.

Lili wrinkled her nose. "Bobby Ziltch," She muttered.

"Bobby, what are you doing here?" Elton demanded, eyes narrowing. "You hate Raz, remember!?"

"Yeah yeah, shut up already, fish face! You think I don't know that!?" The red-head snapped before looking to Lili. "So where the hell is goggle-head?"

Lili's eyes narrowed. "He's gone," She said shortly, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "And if you're not going to help then you have five seconds to get out of my sight before I set you on fire."

"Whoa, whoa, chill out, oh queen of darkness!" Bobby said, holding up his hands in a mock peace gesture. "Look, I just... I... stop looking at me like that, I wanna help!" He snapped.

Milka scowled. "Really now, Bobby? Or are you just here to cause more trouble for Raz?"

"No!" Bobby said, shaking his head. "Look, I may hate the guy, but that doesn't mean I... gah..." He looked away, scratching his head. "It's not cause I like him or anything like that, okay? I'm just here cause Chloe asked... it's not like I actually care if that stupid circus freak dies or not... yeah..."

Milla frowned, her hands on her hips, her lips pursed. "So you're going to help, then?"

"Yeah, whatever," The blue-skinned boy muttered, shuffling his feet.

Lili watched him for a moment, then sighed. She supposed they would have to trust him, for now. "Alright guys... here's the deal. Raz has been gone for about six hours. We don't have a clue where he could be... he could be anywhere, hell, he could be all the way in another country by this point," She said, putting her hands on her hips. "So we all need to seriously split up."

"No problem!" Clem said, punching his fist in the air.

"Yeah, we can do that! YAY SPLITTING UP!" Crystal cheered, jumping up and down.

Lili couldn't help but crack a smile at this. Sure, they were annoying, but they were familiar... and in all the craziness as of late, that was a comfort, albeit a small one. "Glad to hear it... we all need to give this our all, guys. Think about it... six years ago, Raz risked his neck to get all of our brains back. I think it's time we return the favor, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Elton agreed, and Milka nodded. The two suddenly thrust their hands out on top of each other, as if they were making a pact.

"Raz is one in a million, after all he's done for me I'd be glad to have his back any day," JT said with a nod, placing his hand on top of Elton and Milka's.

"Yeah, no kidding man. We owe him big time," Chops stated, putting his hand on the others.

"I do not understand this earth custom of yours, but I will gladly contribute," Chloe said, placing her hand in the circle as well.

"I do believe after all Razputin has done we could stand to give him an offer he can't refuse, hm, Mikhail?" Maloof asked, putting his hand in the circle.

"When Mikhail finds tiny crazy man who hurt friend, he will show man how we settle things back in Russia," Mikhail agreed, placing his hand down on top of everyone else's.

"R-E-S-C-U-E! YAAAY, RESCUE!" Crystal cheered, putting her hand in the circle.

"YAY, RAZ!" Clem agreed loudly, placing his hand on top of Crystal's.

"I can dig it," Quentin drawled as he put his hand in.

"Yeah... for Raz," Phoebe said with a smile as she put her own hand in.

"Yeah... for all the times he helped me not make anyone's head explode," Dogen said quietly, putting in his hand.

"You guys are all such losers," Bobby sneered, half-heartedly putting his hand in.

Lili stared at them all for a moment, looking a little taken aback. Then she smiled and shook her head, placing her hand on top of everyone else's. "Yeah, that's right. It's our turn to save Raz... so let's go," She said.

The former campers of Whispering Rock all stood there for a moment, hands placed over each other, crowded together. They were all different in their own ways, each with their own quirks and issues. Some may have been there more reluctantly than others... but in the end, they were all connected by that summer six years ago, united by a single purpose, whether they liked it or not.

They were going to save Raz if it was the last thing they did.

The former campers all exchanged glances, and finally as one they threw their hands up in the air. "Let's go!" With that, they all separated in different directions.

"I'll ask the fish if they've seen anything!" Elton said with a nod, turning and heading towards the docks. Milka followed, turning invisible almost instantly.

"We'll search out in the wild!" JT declared. "There's a whole lot of world out there, we'll get started right away!"

"Yeah, there's bound to be something out there," Chops said with a nod, and the two headed off.

"I'll get my people on it," Maloof said, taking out a cell phone and beginning to dial. Mikhail nodded in agreement.

"If anyone not agree to look for tiny man, they will be sorry," He said, cracking his knuckles.

"I suppose I can check with my brethren in space and see if they've spotted anything," Chloe said, heading off towards Oleander's broadcasting tower. Bobby cast a nervous glance back at Lili, Sasha, and Milla, then followed her.

"We'll use our tour bus and get looking!" Phoebe said with a grin, jogging back towards the tour bus.

"Yeah, might as well use the groupies for something useful," Quentin said with a shrug as he followed.

"I guess I'll go search too, then," Vernon said, heading off as well. "This reminds me of that one time when I lost one of my socks. It's really amazing, whenever you put two socks in the wash one always seems to disappear. I've learned that they actually go to this amazing sock world..." His nasally voice could be heard even as he ran off into the distance.

Dogen was left standing by himself with Lili, Sasha and Milla.

"Um..." Lili said slowly.

The blue-skinned boy blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, okay... I'll go with Vernon..." With that, he turned and waddled after Venon. "See you all later..."

"Er... alright then," Lili said, then turned to Sasha and Milla.

"Well..." Sasha said slowly. "I suppose we could try taking the jet and doing sweeps." Lili shook her head and the German frowned, arching a brow.

"No... I think I have a better idea," The brunette said. "Finding Raz is good... but after what happened last night, it's not enough."

Milla sighed, her shoulders drooping. "You're right, darling... but what should we do?"

Lili gave a small smile. "The other campers are gonna look for Raz... so we're going to get some information." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "This entire thing is over that curse, right? So what we need to do is visit Raz's dad."

Sasha rubbed his chin as a look of realization came to his face. "Ah... to find out exactly what this feud between the Aquatos and the Galochios entails."

When Lili nodded, Milla's face lit up as well. "Hmm... that's actually a very good idea, darling!" She said, snapping her fingers. "If we can find exactly what is going on between the two of them, the origin of this whole thing..."

"Then perhaps we can find the truth of whatever is truly going on here," Sasha finished.

"Exactly," Lili said with a nod.

Sasha let out a sigh, putting his hands in his pockets. "Well then..." He said, beginning to head down towards the parking lot. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but it looks like we may be taking a visit to the circus."

Milla smiled as well, levitating her keys out of her pocket. "Sounds like a plan, darling. I always did love the circus," She said brightly as she hooked her arm through Sasha's, beaming as he groaned. "Oh come now darling, it won't be so bad."

Lili watched them go, then made as if to follow them, her skirt and pigtails fanning out behind her as she walked. Her amber eyes went to the sky as she absently played with the friendship bracelet tied around her wrist.

"Hang on, Raz... we're coming."

--

**To Be Continued...**

_See the little purple review button? Every time someone hits it and leaves a review, Nereus gets hit in the face and Raz is spared a little less torture. You don't want Raz to forever be in terrible agony, do you? Then you should review!_

_...Unless you're an angst whore like me. In which case you should review anyway... please?_


	11. Who Are You?

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Eleven: Who Are You?**

**--**

_Whee, chapter eleven. Time for fun things like the Aquato and Galochio backstory, yaaay. You know you're thrilled. Originally this was all supposed to be one chapter, and then it got ridiculously long and now there are two chapters. This would quickly become a sort of running theme of chapters getting ridiculously long and split. On the bright side this means for you guys to read, but on the not-so-bright side it means way more work for me._

_Ah well, such is life._

_Also, it will be noted the name I'm using for Raz's dad, Rafael, is taken from _**Atrophy-Conception**_'s fic, _**Always the Same**_ (which is pretty much the greatest thing ever, by the way). It seemed fitting, and seriously, we ought to start some sort of fanon name since it's doubtful a real one's ever going to surface. Anyway, yeah, Atrophy-Conception is pretty much my inspiration and her fics are, in my opinion, the best in this section, so go check them out!_

_Right, on with the fic._

_Suggested listening music is _Fin _by _Anberlin (Track 13).

--

Lili hated the circus.

Granted, she hated a lot of things, but she hated the circus especially. The sight of the brightly colored tents dotting a beaten down landscape, containers for various snacks strewn as far as the eye could see, the shouts of dirty little kids running around still not quite enough to drown out the carnival music that echoed from around the area. The smells of stale popcorn, cotton candy, sweat, and elephant manure wafted past her nose and Lili made a face. She hated it all. She was a bit more tolerant of it after meeting Raz, but even so... God, how she hated the circus!

"It's for Raz," She muttered to herself as she, Sasha, and Milla made their way across the grounds where the Aquato Circus had set up, her arms crossed before her and a stony expression set upon her face.

"Yes, for Razputin," Sasha agreed, sounding about as thrilled as the teenage girl. His gloved hands were shoved into his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Oh, come on you two! At least try to have a little fun!" Milla admonished as she gazed at her surroundings with a dazzled smile, though she kept one arm looped tightly around Sasha's, as if daring him to try to turn around and leave.

Both Lili and Sasha shot each other a glance, clearly thinking the same thing.

Fun? She has to be insane. No wonder Raz was so eager to leave.

Milla made a tsking sound with her mouth, shaking her head as she sidestepped to allow a pair of clowns to walk past. They had decided to come to the Aquato Circus after the show, to ensure there would be as few crowds as possible.

They got their wish, the circus was completely empty save for the performers. Some of the lights had been turned off, though a good portion were still on, giving the area an eerie, unnatural glow that cast all sorts of strange shadows. There was a strong wind that night that rustled the tents and various flags, adding to the slightly unreal atmosphere. One could still hear the hustle and bustle as the various performers went to and fro, cleaning up after their show. Their babble sounded almost normal, save for the occasional noise from animals that were most definitely not native to the area.

"Hmm... now where do you suppose Razputin's father could be?" Milla wondered aloud as she glanced through the tent flaps of the bigtop. Most of the performers were inside, packing things away, herding the animals out, and cleaning up.

Lili frowned, poking her head in as well. "Well, it _is _his circus, so he's gotta be around-- aha, there he is!" She exclaimed, pointing. There stood Raz's father, clad in the the slightly nicer leotard that he used for shows. He was tugging absently on his scruffy beard even as he directed a few of the performers in their duties.

Sasha rose a brow as he peeked into the bigtop as well. "Well then..." He said, stepping into the tent. "Shall we?"

Lili nodded, and she and Milla followed the German Psychonaut as they made their way across the ring.

"No, Dimitri, put that over there! Last time we left it so close the elephants they started acting weird." The aged acrobat was saying when the psychics finally got close enough to speak to him.

Sasha cleared his throat before speaking. "Ah, excuse me--"

"What's that? Hey now, the show's over, no one else is supposed to be in here right now!" Razputin's father exclaimed, waving his hand in a shooing motion. "Go on, come back tomorrow when there's an actual show!"

Lili quirked a brow at this, placing her hands on her hips. "Mr.Aquato, we're not here for the show," She stated.

The old man paused, blinking, then turned around. His widened slightly at the sight before him. "Ah, Lili! It's you!" He exclaimed, then paused, frowning slightly. "And Agent Nein and Agent Vodello too? Well now, I haven't seen you two in awhile. Nice to see you both again," He said, extending his hand for them to shake.

While Sasha merely nodded as he shook the acrobat's hand, Milla flashed him a warm smile. "The pleasure is ours, Rafael. Good to see you're doing well, darling."

Rafael chuckled. "Well, I'm pulling through well enough, though it'd help if Razputin would stop disappearing constantly. One of these days that boy's going to give his old man a heart attack, I just know it." His expression became slightly serious at this point, though he was still smiling good-naturedly. "I don't suppose you all happen to know where he's run off to, do you? As nice as it is to see you all again, I highly doubt you came for a little diversion at the circus."

Both Lili and Milla shook their heads, though it was Sasha who finally spoke after a few seconds of rather uncomfortable silence. "No, sir, I'm afraid not. The reason we've come is indeed about Razputin, however... at the moment we really don't know where he is."

The old acrobat's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? What's happened to my son?"

Milla gave a nervous smile. "Don't worry, don't worry darling, we'll tell you... but perhaps there's a more secluded place where we could talk?" She asked, gesturing around the ring. The other performers, realizing that they had been noticed, hurriedly went back to their duties, though it was clear their attention was still fixated on their leader's visitors.

Lili scowled as they stared at them. Sheesh, they were acting as if they were the freaks here!

Rafael blinked, then let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, yes, of course... come, let me show you to my trailer. Once we're there you can tell me what's happened to my son," He said, ushering them towards one of the back flaps of the tent.

The psychics all filed out, leaving the performers of the circus to whisper among themselves and wonder exactly what the hell had just happened.

--

Pain.

It was the one thing Raz could seem to wrap his mind around, this and nothing more. It rolled over him in waves, a constant, never-ending agony. It was as if his skull were being split in two, shards of broken glass tearing his veins. Every time he felt for sure he couldn't take it anymore and he felt himself drifting, the pain seemed to only intensify, just enough to bring him back from the threshold of blissful unconscious and back into the rolling inferno.

How long had he been here? How long had he endured this? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months!? _Years_!? He didn't know. There was no sense of time here, just pain and nothing more.

He wanted it to stop. He wanted to escape somehow, to get away, because damn it all, he couldn't take it!

But he had to keep going. The thought was faint, just beyond the rolling agony, but it was there.

Raz had finally stopped screaming, having finally lost the energy to do so after several hours. All he could do was hang there in that damned metal ring, his entire body shaking involuntarily as the torture continued.

He would not give in. He would not break. If he did, he wasn't entirely sure what would happen, but he knew it wasn't good.

So he would keep on fighting.

But oh God... he wanted to die. He just couldn't, he couldn't... no, no, he could, he had to keep fighting, he couldn't...

"Hello?"

The voice was quiet, faint, almost as if the wind had spoken, but it was there.

Raz did not respond.

"Hello?"

The voice came again, a bit louder this time, though cautious.

Raz gave a light twitch, raising his head slightly and opening his eyes. He let out a groan, blinking as Nereus's lair swam before his eyes. Finally things came into focus, and he beheld the little dirty blonde girl he had seen earlier.

"...Wha?" He mumbled.

She gazed up at him from the glass floor, her visible sapphire eye staring up at him almost unblinkingly. The soft blue light coming from the machines seemed to give her thin frame an ethereal, almost translucent glow.

"...Who are you?" Raz croaked out weakly, his voice shaky and laced with pain. His voice was hoarse from screaming, his throat feeling like it were made of sandpaper.

Her eyes widened and she immediately looked to the floor, shaking slightly. A few seconds ticked by, and Raz was starting to think he wouldn't get an answer, but then she finally spoke, so quietly he could barely catch it.

"...Inoue."

"Inoue, huh?" Raz repeated. Though speaking was tiring, it gave him a distraction from the pain coursing through him. "What's a little girl like you doing in a place like this? You don't seem like you're under Nereus's mind control."

The blonde shook her head and mumbled something.

"Huh?"

She shook her head again, but spoke a bit louder. "That's not big brother's power. That's mine."

Raz's brow furrowed. "That's your power? Wait, you're the one that's been doing that!?" He rasped.

Inoue gave a small nod.

"Why would you do something like that?" The teen inquired, curious.

The blonde bit her lip. "Because big brother asked me too," She mumbled, running thin fingers over a bruise on her arm. She then glanced up at him again. "Who are you?" She asked, returning the question Raz had asked earlier.

"Who am I?" The teen repeated, blinking. He then gave a sad, hoarse laugh. "I... I'm not really sure who I am anymore."

Inoue cocked her head to the side. "You... don't know who you are?" She asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

"No... I mean... I used to. I thought I was a Psychonaut. I thought I was a lot of things," Raz mumbled, jade green eyes shadowing. "But... ah!" He paused, giving an involuntary hiss of pain. "But... now I'm not so sure. Yay for existential crisis, I guess?" He said, trying to force a weak smile.

Inoue watched him in silence for a moment, then spoke again. "Big brother says you're his weapon. Big brother says you're family... like me. Big brother says you're like his little brother... is _that_ who you are?" She asked, curious.

"You keep mentioning this big brother guy. Who..." Raz trailed off, brow furrowing again as sweat slid down it. "Wait... you mean Nereus? He's your brother!?"

She nodded.

"Oh man... Inoue, listen, you've gotta stop this! If you're really the one causing those kids to listen to Nereus, that means you can free them! That means you can stop this!" Raz exclaimed, sounding desperate. "I mean.. I-I don't know how it works, but I'm sure you can! I mean, you don't really want to--"

The blonde gave a violent shake of her head. "No!" She exclaimed. "Big brother said--"

"'Big brother' is a lunatic!" Raz pointed out, silencing her. "And I can tell you know that, Inoue! Your brother is mad, and he's using you! You've gotta stop this, Inoue, you have to--"

"NO!" Inoue shrieked, shaking her head again, her tiny hands clenching into fists at her sides. "No! Big brother's not like that, he's not! He... he..." She trailed off, calming slightly as she gazed sadly at the glass floor. "He didn't used to be."

"Used to be?" Raz repeated.

The blonde shook her head again. "Back... before... back when daddy and mommy and everyone else was still around... back then everyone hated me. Every other Galochio was psychic... everyone but me. The only power I got was the power to lay the Galochio curse... so I was nearly useless. Father always said my one purpose was to serve my big brother, and... and everyone hated me. Everyone but my big brother... he was always kind. He tried to keep the rest of the family from hurting me, he helped me when I was sick and everyone else left me to die... big brother was the only one who cared. It was always just him and Spinzzy..."

"Spinzzy?" The teen blinked in confusion, cocking his head to the side. The name really did not seem to fit in with the sad, serious tone of the rest of Inoue's story "Uh... who is that?"

Inoue gave a sad smile at this as she rubbed at a bruise again. "A friend... but he died. They all did," She took a deep breath, then continued. "One day, though, something happened. I don't know what... I had been locked in the containment chamber again. I just remember hearing screams... and the next thing I knew, big brother came and told me we were free. He said... he said he had a use for my power, when even my own father had said I was useless... can't you understand that?" Her hands clenched into fists again as she spoke, tears coming to her eyes. "When no one else cared, big brother did, when everyone else thought I didn't deserve to live, he found a purpose! He said we'd be making Spinzzy happy, that we would save everything! That's why I have sworn to do everything and anything I can to help big brother, after all he's done for me!"

Raz watched her in silence for a moment. "Even if it means doing something you know is wrong?"

Inoue let out a gasp. "It's... it's not... big brother said--"

"Is this really the big brother you claim he is?" Raz asked gently. "You have to admit... he seems different now, doesn't he? You know what he's doing is wrong, Inoue. You know it is, you know--"

"Shut up!" The blonde shrieked, cutting him off, putting her hands over her ears as she screamed. "Shut up, shut up! I... I know it's wrong! I know! But... I have to! I have to! I love my big brother, I love him! That's why... even if he's different now, even if it seems wrong... as long as big brother says it has to be done, I'll do it! I have to! I am Inoue Galochio, and I am his sister, his tool!"

The child collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, head in her hands.

"...A tool?" Raz said quietly after a moment of silence, gazing at her with sad eyes. "Is that what he told you? Inoue... you know that's not true. You know what he's doing is wrong... he can talk all he wants, but you know... there's something wrong with your big brother, and all you're doing is making it worse."

"I know... I know..." Inoue whimpered, rocking back and forth. "But... I... I... big brother..."

"Big brother is different now. You know that. Don't you want him back to normal?" Raz asked gently.

"I... I do. I want my big brother back," Inoue choked out. "But I--"

"Who are you?" Raz asked quietly, causing the child to look up at him, clean teartracks left upon her dirty face, her nose running. "And no, I don't mean what Nereus has told you. Who are you, Inoue? In the end... I think that's the question you need to ask yourself... because only you can decide the answer."

Inoue let out a small sniffle. "I--"

"Inoue!" Nereus suddenly barked, his voice ringing through the cavern, causing both the little blonde and Raz to jump. The silver-clad teen stomped across the walkway to the centeral platform, sapphire eyes blazing dangerously. "What have I told you?" He snarled.

The blonde whimpered. "I, I--"

"I believe I said Razputin was not to be disturbed," Nereus hissed, reaching down to haul his sister to his feet, fist clenching roughly around her tiny wrist. "He is being punished."

Inoue swallowed, whimpering in pain at her brother's tight grip. "But, but I--"

"Leave her alone, Nereus!" Raz called out, his voice coming out stronger than he felt.

Nereus frowned, looking up to his captive. "You're still capable of speech?" He sneered, arching a brow at the Psychonaut.

"Shut up," Raz snarled, hands clenching into fists. "And leave her alone... I was the one talking to her, she didn't do anything."

"Is that so?" The blond glanced down at the girl, whom was shaking and crying. "Oh, my poor sister...what lies has this foolish child filled your head with?" He murmured, his voice gentle now as he released her wrist and began to stroke her dirty hair.

Inoue just shook her head, crying too hard to say anything.

Nereus's face darkened and he looked to Raz, whose expression was stony. He shook his head, sapphire eyes blazing. "Well then, clearly if you can still speak and fill my sister's head with lies, I'm not doing a good job. Let's take things up another notch, shall we?" He asked, telekintically flipping another switch.

Raz's entire body immediately when rigid and he let out a scream as the mental structure let out a loud crackle, the extra energy added to it apparent. He convulsed, his back arching as if he were trying to curl into a ball. His restraints, however, prevented this, leaving Raz with little to do but scream and writhe.

Inoue watched in mute horror, her eyes widening as the last of her tears slipped down her cheeks.

"There there, my sister," Nereus said in a sickeningly sweet tone, patting the ten-year old on the head as he led her down the walkway. "Come now, let's leave Razputin alone now. He needs time to think about what he's done."

Inoue swallowed and nodded as she was lead away, casting a glance back over her shoulder.

Raz's screams remained ringing in her mind long after the doors closed behind them.

--

"Sorry it's so cramped in here," Rafael said apologetically as he entered the small trailer after his guests, the rickety old caravan shaking slightly as he closed the door behind him.

"Oh don't worry darling, I think it's lovely," Milla said cheerily as she gazed around the trailer, taking in the sight of the slightly worn down, but comforting place the Aquato's called "home". "Right, Sasha?" She asked, glancing over at her partner.

"Ow," Sasha said dully as he hit his head on the ceiling, which was a bit too low for him. He winced, rubbing his head. "Yes. Charming," He drawled.

Lili frowned as she took a seat on the lower bunk, a faraway look in her eyes as she ran her fingers over the thickly-woven blankets absently. She had been in this trailer a few times in her rare visits to Raz's circus, and every time she came she couldn't help but muse over how different her boyfriend's life was from her own lifestyle. As Truman's daughter she had it all and hated it... but even so, she knew compared to many, she was lucky. Every time she set foot in this rickety old gypsy caravan, she couldn't help but reflect over it.

As she thought over this, the memory of the first time she had come here came to mind. She had vocalized her guilty thoughts, and the newly-turned twelve-year old Raz had laughed.

"_Yeah, it's a mess. Yeah, it's falling apart. Yeah, I don't like it much... but as long as you're here, it's home."_

A small, sad sort of smile came to her face. "Idiot..." She muttered.

"So... now that we're free of any eavesdroppers, would you mind telling me what's going on here?" Rafael asked, leaning against the door and folding his arms. "He's been gone for two weeks now and quite frankly I'd like to know where he's been."

Milla flashed a small smile as she sat down next to Lili, the springs squeaking. "Well, you might be happy to know for the past couple of weeks he's been at Whispering Rock. He's been helping us with the children, he's a wonderful teacher, and Lili's been helping out as well."

"I see. Heh, I always did think Razputin would be good with children," Rafael said with a small smile. "But something tells me from how you've all been acting, he's not at camp anymore," He added, face becoming grim. "So tell me... I know where my son has been, but where is he now?"

Milla's face fell at this and she looked away from the aged acrobat, wringing her gloved hands. "I... we're not sure."

Rafael's brow furrowed. "What do you mean you're not sure?"

"He was captured," Lili said shortly, her gaze fixated on the wall across from her. "By a guy who calls himself Nereus Galochio."

Silence for a few seconds.

"...Galochio?" Rafael repeated, his brown eyes wide.

Lili gave a quick nod.

The man's throat constricted, and with a shaking hand he pulled back a chair so he could sit down. "Oh no..." He murmured, putting his face into his hands."Already so soon... I'd hoped they were dead, but of course in that case the curse would... no, this isn't good at all."

"He came last night," Sasha explained, trying his best to be gentle about the fact.

"Yes, he used some sort of strange power to take control of the children, using them and Lili as hostages... there was nothing we could do," Milla said, shaking her head, emerald green eyes appearing haunted by the memory.

Rafael's brow furrowed. "How much did he tell Razputin?" He asked, raising his head.

"Enough to let us know there's some sort of history there," Sasha said, folding his arms before him.

Lili bit her lip. "He said... Raz has some sort of demon inside of him, and his family has been in charge of stopping your family from destroying the world for generations. Or at least, that's what Sasha and Milla told me," She said, playing absently with the bracelet at her wrist. "I'm not sure what exactly happened... I just remember when I got dragged out there, Raz was devastated. It didn't take much for that guy to convince Raz to come with him willingly." She glanced over at Razputin's father, looking pained.

"He said... that Raz doesn't really exist. Funny, huh?" She murmured with a bitter laugh.

It wasn't funny at all.

Silence for a few seconds. Rafael swallowed, glancing at Sasha and Milla, silently asking for a confirmation. They both nodded.

The acrobat let out a groan, putting his face in his hands again. "No... I was just beginning to hope that perhaps this nightmare was finally over. Razputin wasn't showing any of the signs... I was starting to hope maybe all the training had repressed it... damn it all, this was why I didn't want him to become a Psychonaut..." He muttered.

Milla watched him for a moment, then stood and made her way over to the pained man, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Rafael," She said gently, her voice thick with sympathy. "I know this must be hard for you... believe me, we all love Razputin dearly. That's why we need you to tell us the true story of what happened all those years ago to cause this mess. I can't guarantee it... but what you tell us may be what we need to bring your son home."

Rafael let out a long, shuddering sigh before looking up at the agents. Though normally appearing fairly young despite his age, Rafael now had the appearance of a withered, tired old man, his shoulders heavy with the weight of a responsibility no father should have had to carry. "I suppose you may be right..." He said, getting to his feet. "But for the full story, I think a little trip may be in order."

Sasha rose a brow at this. "What sort of trip?"

The older man scratched his head. "I don't suppose you have one those.. er... psi-portal things my son is always carrying on him, would you?"

Milla and Sasha glanced at other, then back at Rafael. "Of course," Sasha said.

"Good. In my younger days I traveled everywhere trying to get these memories and figure out exactly what the entire story is... and I think now I may be the only one who's pieced together the whole story. But to understand it, you're probably going to have to take a look yourself," Rafael said, running a hand through his thinning hair.

Lili's brow furrowed. "You want us to go... inside your head?" She asked, standing.

Rafael rolled his eyes. "Is there a draft in here? Yes, I do. It's the only way you're really going to get the story."

Milla frowned, glancing over at Sasha. "Well... I suppose if he's asked us to..." She began.

Sasha nodded, taking out his psycho portal. "Alright, Mr.Aquato. Now just hold still... this will not hurt." He said, using telekinesis to place it on the acrobat's rather large forehead.

"'Do not attempt to adjust your television screens, we are in control'," Lili snorted, taking her spot next to Sasha and Milla. "Come on, let's go already."

With that, the door swung open, releasing a stream of bright light. A multitude of colors flashed before the three psychics eyes, and each felt a sort of tug and a sense of vertigo as they were projected from their bodies and through the gate...

--

Lili shook her head, trying to clear away the disorientation that always came about when one first entered a new mind. Once she had gotten over this she cracked open one eye to find that she, Sasha, and Milla were standing in the middle of a small circus tent. Outside, the sounds of the circus could be heard, clown's honking, elephants trumpting, small children laughing as they ran around. Rafael's mind was clearly a busy place... all except for this tent.

"Hmm, compelling... another circus," Sasha murmured, rubbing his chin. "I wonder if some mental aspects are genetic..."

"Well, their circus does apparently run in the family," Milla commented as she glanced around.

Lili opened her mouth to speak, but instead of speaking she ended up letting out a loud sneeze. "AH-CHOO!" She sniffled, wiping her nose. "Ugh... seems this place could use some cleaning," She muttered as she glanced around, taking note of all the shimmering purple cobwebs.

"_Sorry about the dust," _Rafael's voice rang inside their heads._ "I... generally try to avoid this corner of my mind."_

"I see... what is this tent?" Sasha inquired as he glanced around.

"_It's a storehouse... back when I was younger, I too, was curious to see what this entire feud was about. So I traveled, seeking out answers with my powers. "_ Scattered around the tent were various memory vaults, many of which appeared to be quite aged and rusted, with hardly the energy to bounce around like most vaults. In fact, these ones seemed to want to do little but lay there and sleep.

"_As you can see, I eventually found what I was looking for... but what I found was less than flattering. So, I decided to try and hide it away, planning only to tell Razputin when he was ready,"_ At this Rafael gave a sigh_ "I guess I'm a little late for that... but perhaps if you take a look, you'll find something I couldn't find."_

Milla let out a small gasp as she gazed at the vaults. "Oh my... these vaults... how old are they?"

"_At least two hundred years old. Most of them are genetic memories, it's a miracle they're still around. But I did manage to find them... and well, here we are. Take a look."_ With that, Rafael fell silent.

The three psychics stood there for a moment, staring at the vaults. "Well..." Milla finally began, glancing around at the vaults. "I suppose we have to start somewhere..."

Lili frowned as she walked over to one of the vaults, squinting as she tried to read the aged labels. "Hmm...'Desya and Adrian'." She read aloud. "Well, I guess it's as good a place as any to start." With that, she slammed her fist down on the vault, causing the aged thing's eyes to shoot open as it let out a loud squeak. It opened it's mouth, spat out a dusty memory reel, then hobbled over to the other end of the tent, where it clearly hoped to remain undisturbed.

"Well," Said Milla, using telekinesis to pick up the memory reel and move it over to an aged movie projector that stood in the middle of the tent. "Shall we, darlings?"

Sasha and Lili each gave nods of agreement, so Milla put the reel in.

--

It was a beautiful day in Lithuania. The sky above was a gorgeous blue, with not a cloud to mar the perfection. Birds chirped as they flitted their way through the warm air, the grass in the meadow below swaying in the gentle breeze. Laying in that meadow was a young man who appeared to be in his late twenties. His hair was a dark reddish brown and was rather long, his bangs obscuring his eyes. He was clad in a plain, patchy leotard, which showed off his wiry but muscular frame quite well. Overall, he looked quite peaceful, his thin arms propped behind his head as he snoozed in the warm afternoon sun.

Quite suddenly a shadow fell over the man, blocking out his sun. "Desya," A low voice murmured.

The man didn't stir.

"...Desyaaaa..."

Again, no movement.

"Desya Aquato!" The voice suddenly shouted, causing the man to jump a good five feet in the air.

"GAH!" He screamed, his jade green eyes flying open. "I'm up, I'm up, I was going right to work, I--" The man paused, brow furrowing. "Heeeeeey... that was cruel, Adrian!"

The source of the shadow, a young man whom appeared to be around the same age, gave a hearty laugh as he plopped to the ground beside Desya, his shoulder-length blond hair shining in the sun. He too was clad in a leotard-like outfit which looked just as worn "That's what you get for taking a nap when you should be working, my friend!" He said with a teasing grin, elbowing the other fellow gently in the side as his sapphire eyes sparkled with mirth.

Desya snorted, batting his friend's arm away. "Yes, because you, of course, set such a shining example, Adrian."

The blond laughed again. "Perhaps, but unlike you I already have my work done."

"Humph," The brunet pouted. "It's my circus, Adrian. I have every right to go relax out in the fields if I feel like it," He declared. "Unlike you Galochio's, I understand the importance of things like not overworking myself, especially on a day like today."

Adrian chuckled. "Of course. Too bad you seem to have forgotten the part after that, where the Aquato Circus tries to give a show and can't because their leader neglected to actually set up anything."

Desya snorted. "No, no, that's where you're wrong, my friend. Even after such troubles, I'll rise above all the hardships! And then the people will be amazed!" He declared dramatically. "The Amazing Desya Aquato, they'll call me, the acrobat who can preform miracles!"

"Only because they never notice what a freak you are." Adrian teased, reaching over to lightly shove his friend back into the grass.

Desya huffed again. Then, without warning a dandelion suddenly floated over, seemingly on it's own, until it was in front of the brunet's face. The young man gave a devious grin, then blew, sending all the tiny seeds into the blonde's face. "A freak? Maybe, but remember, you're psychic too."

The blonde snorted as he ducked beneath the flurry of dandelion seeds, then extended a hand to stop them so they floated in midair before the two of them. He fell back into the grass next to his friend, a small smile on his face. "Maybe so. But that's our secret, eh?"

Desya grinned. "Right. That's why we're gonna be famous, you and me." He extended his hand as well, using telekinesis to form the seeds into the image of a tiny big-top. "The Circus of Aquato and Galochio, the most famous show in all of Russia... no, I take that back, in all of the world!" He declared.

Adrian smiled at that. "Perhaps."

Desya snorted. "No, no, not perhaps, my friend. Definitely." He clenched his hand into a fist, causing the little seedling tent to catch aflame. "Because we'll have the most amazing effects the world has ever seen!"

His friend's face became a frown, and he rolled his eyes before clenching his own hand into a fist, causing small ice crystals to suddenly form around the little seeds and extinguish the flames. "Must you always set everything on fire?" The blonde drawled as the many seeds all dropped to the ground.

"Yes," Desya replied as if the answer were obvious.

Adrian sighed, shaking his head. "You fool."

Desya smirked. "Maybe so, but so are you."

"It's a possibility."

"Ahh, Galochio, Galochio, my poor deluded friend... it's never good to lie to yourself." Desya said, patting the blond on the back. "We're both fools... but we're fools who are going to be famous." He cocked his head to the side, flashing a cheeky grin as his hair danced in the wind. "Right?"

Adrian watched him for a moment. Then he smiled.

"Of course."

--

Lili frowned as the reel ended. "So...they were friends?" She asked no one in particular.

"It appears so," Milla said, a small smile on her face. "How sweet... they seemed happy."

"Well, yeah, but how the hell does 'oh my God best friends forever' suddenly turn into 'oh my God your family is possessed by a demon, die!'?" Lili wondered aloud, hands on her hips.

"Hmm... I'm not sure... what do you think, darling?" Milla asked, glancing over at Sasha, whom was gazing at the dusty ground and stroking his chin, apparently deep in thought.

The German Psychonaut glanced up, blinking. "Yes?"

Milla rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

"Oh, ah, yes... I think giving any opinions at this time without further evidence would be foolish," The scientist said, reaching up to adjust his sunglasses.

"Sounds like a plan," Lili said, walking over to another memory vault. She swiftly kicked this one with one of her heavy combat boots, causing the thing to let out a yelp and spit out another reel before scuttling away. The teen picked it up with a smirk of satisfaction, brushing the dust off of it.

"'The Cave'," She read aloud, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that's certainly a generic name."

"Sounds like a bad movie," Sasha supplied helpfully.

Milla just shrugged, gesturing towards the projector. Lili nodded, then put the reel in.

--

"Remind me again why we've come here again?" Adrian's voice echoed through the cavern amid the various sounds of dripping water and the howling of the wind. The path they took was rocky and bare, only just barely illuminated by the candles the two friends held. The light of early morning barely penetrated the mouth of the cave, let alone how far they had gone in.

"Oh come now, Adrian, where's your sense of adventure?" Desya asked with a grin as he crawled over another rock. "You know you've wanted to check this place out as much as I have, and it's not like we'll have another chance before we leave," He pointed out.

Adrian let out a sigh. "I suppose... but even so, we could have at least told someone we were coming here."

"You worry too much, my friend," Desya snickered.

"And you too little," Adrian shot back, appearing irritated.

"Hey now, relax," The brunet said with a disarming smile that could only just be seen from the light of his candle. "You're the one that agreed to come with me."

Adrian shook his head, though a small smile came to his lips. "Only because you looked so pathetic I couldn't possibly let you wander in here alone."

"Yeah yeah, believe what you want," Desya said, waving his hand in a bored sort of manner. "You know you were curious. I mean, the locals did say this place was cursed or something... don't you want to know why?" He asked, his expression one of feverish excitement as he continued along.

"Not particularly." Adrian muttered, busy focusing on not slipping and getting a concussion.

Desya continued anyway. "They say this place is the resting place of an evil God, and anyone who disturbs him will release him upon the world to cause destruction and chaos."

"Amazing, it sounds as if you're talking about yourself, imp." Adrian said sarcastically.

"Haha," Desya snorted, rolling his eyes. "You..." He trialed off, blinking. "Who's singing that?"

Adrian frowned. "Singing?"

"Yeah... singing..." Desya said, brow furrowing. "It sounds like someone singing... can't you hear it?" He asked, cupping a hand over his ear and cocking his head to the side.

"Hear what?"

"It's coming from this way!" Desya suddenly jogged ahead, his reddish hair flying out behind him as he ran. The small candlelight bobbed ahead in the dark, almost vanishing where cavern began to narrow.

"W-wait, wait up!" Adrian explained, trying to catch up with his friend, nearly tripping over the spots where the cave floor was uneven and narrowly avoiding slipping on wet spots. Strangely enough, his friend ahead of him seemed to have no trouble.

He soon found himself in the "hall" of sorts, wherein the cavern walls had straightened out and formed a perfect path. It almost seemed to be man made, with a strange sort of purple crystal embedded into the stone, causing the entire hallway to glow eeriely.

"What's this?" Adrian whispered to himself as he gazed around, sapphire eyes wide. "What is this place?" He wondered. His gaze then fell upon Desya, whom had slown to a walk but was still making his way down the hallway with obvious determination, as if his life depended on reaching the source of the mysterious song only he could hear.

"It's so beautiful," The brunet murmured, his voice echoing through the cavern. "Adrian, can't you hear it? It's amazing..." He was swaying a bit as he continued his way down the hallway, as if drawn to what Adrian now saw was a soft, orange glow coming from the opening at the end. Upon seeing this glow, the blond felt a shiver go up his spine. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he did not want his best friend to go in there.

There was something very, very wrong about all this.

"Desya! Desya, wait!" He called after his friend, his voice echoing through the cavern

Either Desya didn't hear him, or else he ignored him, because he kept going. He stepped into the orange glow.

Adrian watched his, his entire body shaking. Damnit, he wasn't supposed to go in there! He didn't know how he knew, he just did! He wasn't supposed to go in there and neither was Desya! This wasn't... damn it all!

He followed his friend into the cavern. "Desya!" He called out, stopping at the opening, eyes widening at what he saw.

Placed at the very end of the great, circular cavern was a shrine of sorts. Two golden dragons sat side by side, a bright orange flame burning in each of their talons. Various gemstones and writing Adrian couldn't seem to decipher lined the walls, seeming to carry whispers of an unknown power to his ears. Between the two beasts sat a great, orange stone. It was from this that the glow seemed to be coming from, and from this that the flames seemed to gain the power to burn. Occasionally a spark would fly from the stone, the power contained within it almost too great for it to contain.

And Desya stood before it, seemingly hypnotized.

"Desya!" Adrian called out, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He rushed to his friend's side. "Desya, what are you doing!?" He cried as he came to a stop, brow furrowing.

"Can you hear it, Adrian?" His friend whispered quietly, gazing at the stone with glazed eyes.

"Hear what? Desya, come now, let's leave this place!" Adrian pleaded, grabbing his friends arm and attempting to tug him back out of the room. "Please, it's far too dangerous."

Desya let out a quiet laugh, not budging from where he stood. "It's calling to me, Adrian. It wouldn't be right to not answer." He stepped forward and extended his hand as if to touch the stone. The light from the object set his entire face aglow, as if it were on fire.

Adrian shook his head. "Don't touch it, Desya!" He pleaded, his voice shaking slightly as he desperately tried to hold his friend back. Desya, however, seemed frighteningly strong. "Don't touch it! Come my friend, let's leave! Let's leave and forget about it!"

"But... it's beautiful. I just... I want to..."

Desya touched the stone.

Almost instantly a great wind whipped up, sending Adrian skidding back a few feet. The blonde reached up to shield his eyes from scattering pebbles, his sapphire eyes wide as he beheld the sight of his best friend floating in the air. The stone pulsated with energy as Desya hung before it, his reddish-brown hair whipping around his face, jade green eyes wide as the same energy formed around him, holding him there.

"**At last!" **A great voice boomed, so loud that Adrian let out a cry and had to reach up to cover his ears. Even then, he could still hear it speak, the voice so loud he swore he could feel his head imploding from the booming volume of it.** "I have been imprisoned here for a long, long time... but at last, my vessel has arrived!"**

Desya let out a shuddering breath. "Who are you?" He gasped out.

A terrible laugh. **"Pathetic human. You cannot even begin to comprehend the behemoth you have awakened... you foolish child. Even so, I suppose it is only fair that I give you my name. I am Vritra. I have lived for thousands of years, and I have seen the horrible state humans have placed this world in. I have watched, I have seen, I have heard, I have felt it all. And now, at last, my time for judgment of this world is neigh, and you, child, will be the one to unleash it!"**

"W-what!?" Desya sputtered.

"**You will be my vessel. For many eons I have been imprisoned here, unable to do the task which I have deemed right for mankind... but at last, the time has come! This world has been so terribly ravaged, so I will destroy it all and create a new one fit for mankind!"**

Desya stared at the glowing stone with wide eyes as the wind continued to whip around him. "I... I don't understand!"

"**Is that so? Then... here. I will make you understand. With this, you and I will be one, and at last we will do what was meant to be done so long ago. Come now child, offer me your body, and together with my power we will destroy this world!"**

Quite suddenly the glow surrounding the stone seemed to fade, slowly drawing away from the gem and taking it's power with it. This energy drew away to form into a great mass of pure, undiluted power above the stone. The fire in the talons of the dragon statues drew away into the mass of power, which then formed into a great, serpentine beast.

As this went on Adrian had remained frozen at the mouth of the cavern with wide eyes, his blonde hair whipping around his face as he watched this all take place. But as he saw his friend there, floating helpless before this great beast that he could only assume was Vritra, he finally snapped out of it.

"No!" He screamed, rushing forward. "No, no, Desya! Leave my friend alone! Leave him alone! Damn it all, _Desya_!"

The beast however, did not even acknowledge him. It simply floated there for a moment, staring almost hungrily at the young man floating before it. Then, with a great, terrible roar that shook the entire cavern it surged towards the brunet.

Desya Aquato disappeared in the great, fiery jaws of the beast almost instantly.

Adrian skidded to a stop before the serpent, sapphire eyes wide. He could only watch in horror as the beast floated there for a moment, then seemed to implode in on itself with a burst of heat, letting out a shriek like a dying phoenix.

All that remained was Desya, floating there in the middle of the cavern. However, he seemed far from fine. He was pulsating with fiery energy as he writhed in midair, clawing at his own body as if he were burning from the inside. And the screaming, oh God, the screams. Desya was screaming as if he were being eaten alive, the power coming from him enough to make the entire cavern shake.

And all Adrian could do was watch, horror etched across his face. His entire body was shaking as he stood there, gaping, as his best friend became a monster.

Desya let out a final piercing scream which was ended as a terrible, screeching roar that could only belong to a monster. Then his eyes shot open, formerly green eyes now blazing a primal orange as he fell eerily still.

"...Desya?" Adrian stuttered out.

A shockwave of power shot out from his best friend's frame, and then all Adrian Galochio knew was black.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_In chapter two I said every time someone looked at that page and didn't review, a puppy died. That seemed to work pretty well, so how about this?_

_Every time someone looks at this page and doesn't review, a puppy and a kitten dies. Please, think of the kittens and puppies! Do you really want to sacrifice so many innocent lives so meaninglessly!? Review and save two little lives!_


	12. The Curse

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Twelve: The Curse**

**--**

_Annnd then we came to part two of the flashbacks of doom. You know you love it._

_Um... I don't really have much to say. There wasn't much to edit this chapter, aside from a few phrasing issues. When I first wrote it I thought it sucked, but now it honestly doesn't seem too bad. Funny what a year or two does to your writing. Also, I'm pretty sure this is the first and only chapter with no scenes what-so-ever involving Raz. I guess that just goes to show who my favorite character is, huh? XD_

_Anyway, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is _Memories _by _Within Temptation (Track 10), A Song of Storm and Fire (Track 11), _and _Fin (Track 13)_._

--

_Drip, drip._

That echoing sound was the first thing Adrian was aware of when he finally came to, along with the cool, smooth surface beneath him and the throbbing in his skull. Sapphire eyes fluttered open and Adrian let out a groan, sitting up on the cold stone floor. The blond shook his head as if trying to clear it, then glanced around.

Oh, right. The cave. Almost everything was just as he remembered before passing out. There were the jewel-encrusted walls, the dragon statues, the now dull stone... but no Desya.

Adrian was alone.

"...Damn it all," The blond cursed, slamming his fist against the floor. "I told him not to touch it..." He then put his face in his hands, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. "...What am I supposed to do about this?" The blond moaned to the empty cavern.

God, how he wished this could all be just a dream. Or that Desya had just listened... but no, Desya never had. Desya always was the type to never look before he leaped, and Adrian was always the one to get him out of trouble. That was the way things had always been. But this time it looked like Desya had leaped into a pit that Adrian had no idea how to pull him out of. Demons? The destruction of the world? It was all too much!

"_Adrian?"_

It was much like when Vritra had spoken, though the voice was much lighter in tone. It came from everywhere and nowhere at once, echoing in Adrian's mind and causing the man to jump. "What!?" The blond asked, his body tensing. "Who's there?"

"_Peace, my child. I am not here to hurt you."_

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he got to his feet, still looking fully prepared to fight if necessary. "Who are you?" He demanded. After all he had just witnessed, he was hardly in the mood for games.

A soft laugh._"Ah, forgive me, I may have startled you. I am Indra."_

"Indra?" Adrian repeated. "Are you... are you like that other beast?"

"_...I suppose that is one way of putting it. I am... like it, in a way."_

The blond's face twisted into a suspicious scowl, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.. "What do you want? I do not know what you are, but if you cannot help me find my friend, I ask you to leave me be."

"_Ah, your friend... you mean the human that has become Vritra's vessel."_

Adrian's scowl deepened. "Yes, that is what I mean. And again, if you cannot help me, spirit, I ask you to leave."

"_My, you are so anxious! Please, I wish only to help!"_

"Do you now? Forgive me, but as of late my contact with things like yourself has been less than flattering."

"_Vritra has given us both a bad name. Please, allow me to explain."_

Adrian fell silent, though he still seemed a bit annoyed.

"_Now listen... many eons ago, Vritra walked the earth freely. It terrorized the people, bringing chaos wherever it went. Famine, war, sickness, mass destruction and death wherever you turned. I eventually set out to stop it... but we were both evenly matched. Our battle was great... and over time, the people began to see us both as monsters. Finally, in an attempt to save themselves, the ancients sealed us both away into the stone you see there. We have been imprisoned there for many years... until today, at any rate. When your friend came along, he freed the beast within. Now Vritra has escaped, and it will attempt to finish what it started."_

"...Oh no. That would mean... Desya..." Adrian trailed off, his eyes wide. "But.. surely, he wouldn't! Desya is strong! He would never--"

"_Your friend may be strong, but I assure you, Vritra is far more powerful. Your friend can do nothing against it's might. He will be used as a puppet for Vritra's destruction of this world."_

"But... surely you can do something!" Adrian sputtered. "You... whatever you are! You've fought this creature before, haven't you? Surely you can stop this!? Surely you can save my friend?"

"_I'm afraid there is nothing I can do. When Vritra fled our prison, he took a good portion of my power with him. Besides, I cannot leave this prison on my own... even if I could, what could I do at half my strength?"_

Adrian stood in silence for a moment, staring down at the stone floor as he took this all in. Finally he raised his head, blond hair falling into his eyes, his expression one of determination. "I don't care about what happens to the world. I do not care for spirits or demons... but I will not let my friend be used like this. What must I do?"

"_You must fight. Vritra is powerful... but you must stop it, no matter what the cost, both for the sake of the world and your friend."_

"Fight it? By myself?" Adrian gasped.

"_Let me rest within you. If you allow me to use you as a vessel, I can give you my power to aid you. I am not as powerful as I once was... but it is possible that with it, you will have a chance of subduing this threat."_

Silence for a few seconds.

"Very well," Adrian said, spreading out his arms and closing his eyes. "I'll do it. I will be your vessel... for Desya."

A wave of approval, almost as if the spirit were smiling. _"Very well."_

With that, a strong wind swept around the room, sending bits of rock and dust swirling everywhere, blowing back Adrian's hair. It soon pushed the blond into the air, causing him to hover there as the wind swept around him. Then, for a moment a bright blue serpent materialized in the air, a creature made of pure energy. It stared down at him for a moment, glowing white eyes narrowed. Then it vanished, dispersing into tendrils of energy that swept into Adrian, gathering at his heart. A cry of pain tore from Adrian's throat and he clutched at his chest, gritting his teeth in agony.

After a few seconds the blond dropped to the floor. He landed on all fours, panting and shaking, sweat beading on his forehead. As his breath finally slowed the young man blinked as he looked himself over. He certainly seemed normal enough. However, after a few seconds he heard Indra's voice, this time coming from inside his head.

"_You are brave, human child. It is a pity Vritra never knew of someone like you... perhaps if that were the case, things would be different..."_

--

The three psychics stood in silence as the memory reel ended. Finally after a few seconds Lili spoke.

"Whoa."

"So then... they really were..." Milla trailed off, emerald green eyes wide.

"I'm still unconvinced," Sasha declared, folding his arms before him.

Both Lili and Milla spun to face him. "What do you mean you aren't convinced? We just saw it with our own eyes!" Lili snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

"Honestly darling," Milla said, mirroring Lili's motion. "You really need to learn to accept that some things--"

"Are not what they always seem," Sasha interrupted her, raising an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses. "You must remember, we are unsure as to from whose point of view this memory is. For all we know, there may be more to this matter than meets the eye."

"_Perhaps. I am not sure myself,"_ Raphael spoke up. _"All I can be sure of is what I found... I could not find a proper memory, but I can deduce what happened between that and the next reel."_

"And what was that?" Lili asked, crossing her arms before her.

"_Well, Vritra, now in full possession of Desya's body, tried to make his way down to the village where both circuses had stopped. Fortunately for the good people there, Adrian got to his friend first. He tried to talk to his friend... but fighting broke out. In the end Vritra was forced to flee and lick his wounds. Clearly, he could not go about his business until he had eliminated Adrian, and thus his nemesis. And so, he devised a plan... and that would bring us to our next reel. Could you get it, Lili?"_

Lili nodded, walking over to another vault. This one immediately cowered in fear from her, shaking as it stared up at her with wide eyes. Lili stared at it for a moment, then knelt down and scratched the vault on the head. The vault blinked, then let out a low purr, sticking out it's tongue. The brunette smirked, taking the reel and standing, ignoring the low whine that came from the vault. "Let's see... 'Friends Turned Enemies', huh?" She read aloud. She then shrugged, sticking the reel into the player.

"Well, let's see what happens, then..."

--

Sonya Aquato was a different sort of woman. She was not exactly beautiful, but she was not exactly plain either. Though tall and thin, she seemed to carry a strange, otherworldly sort of strength about her that would carry her through any trial thrown her way. Her long black hair fell far down her back, and her amber eyes always seemed to glow with a strange inner flame. She was clad in a heavy, but soft dress that made her look nice but still modest. As she was the fortune teller, the dress was rather flashy, with all sorts of bits that shimmered and shined in the sunlight.

Though she normally seemed strong and confident, right now Sonya appeared worried. She paced through the campsite the Aquato circus had set up, wringing her hands. The camp was eeriely quiet, as most of the circus performers were still unconscious from all the partying they had done after last night's show.

But her husband wasn't there.

She had woken that morning, only to find Desya was not in their trailer. A check at the Galochio circus revealed that her husband was not there either, and neither was his best friend.

Several hours had passed since then, and there will still no sign of the master of either circus.

"Desya... where are you?" Sonya muttered, brushing a strand of raven black hair behind her ear.

"Madam Sonya! Madam Sonya!" A young voice called out. Sonya blinked, turning to see Anya, one of the acrobats and her niece, come running over.

"What is it, Anya?" Sonya asked as the teen came skidding to a stop before her, hands on her knees as she panted for breath.

"It is Master Desya, ma'am! He has returned, and has requested all the performers come to the center of camp!" Anya panted out.

Sonya's brow furrowed. "He's back!?" She immediately rushed past Anya, leaving the still panting girl behind. She weaved past tents and trailers until at last she came to the center of the camp, where all the the performers were gathered around a long-burnt out fire, most looking tired but interested. Desya stood on a raised platform above them all, the wind blowing his hair in his jade green eyes. He had a few bruises here and there, as well as a cut across his face.

His wife's eyes widened. "Desya!" She shrieked, rushing over.

"Hm?" Desya blinked, glancing down at her as if he didn't know her. After a few seconds, however, recognition lit his gaze. "Ah, Sonya! There you are, my lovely wife."

"What happened to you!?" Sonya demanded, concern in her tone.

Desya's eyes darkened. "I was just about to explain," He hissed. Had anyone been looking closely, they would have sworn his eyes burned bright orange for a moment. The brunet then turned back to his audience. "Friends... this morning, while you were all still sleeping, I visited a very special place. This place was a cave, which you may well know that the locals of this town have forbidden entry too."

"You went to that cave!?" One of the animal tamers exclaimed.

"Desya... I told you not to go in there..." Sonya said, her eyes narrowing.

Desya smirked. "Yes, Sonya, I know. But I felt strangely called there... and so, ignoring the warnings, I followed them into the cave. And while I was there, I discovered something truly astonishing. An amazing power, a power that can change the world," As he spoke, orange sparks danced at his fingertips, drawing fearful murmurs from the circus performers. "Do not be alarmed, comrades! This power is a gift! You see, this world is in danger... and I have been chosen to fix it! The Gods have given me this power to save this world!"

As Desya spoke, the performers went from fearful to curious, each casting each other strange looks. The brunet's smirk widened as he noted he has his performers attention. "Not just me, either. The Gods have chosen us all. Yes, us, the Aquato family... we are the chosen people, chosen by the Gods to change the world! Surely you have felt it, that you were special!" At this, the crowd all gave small nods of acknowledgment, excitement being to come to their faces. "You have been chosen! We are no simple circus family! My brothers, my sisters, my cousins! We have been chosen to save this world!"

The circus performers all gave whoops and cheers, their eyes taking on a strange, orange gleam.

"Yes, my family, we have been chosen... but we already have a great obstacle. Our friends, the Galochios, do not understand! They do not believe we are chosen! They will attempt to stop us our quest to save this world. Why, Adrian, my own best friend, has turned against me! He attacked me just a little while ago. He is jealous of my might, and I am sure as we speak he is telling his family terrible lies about us!"

The Aquatos all gave gasps of astonishment. "He wouldn't!"

Desya shook his head, looking sorrowful. "Alas, I am afraid it is so. Our friends have betrayed us... they are our friends no longer. This blow is proof of that." He said, gesturing to his face, drawing angry murmurs from the performers.

"Those bastards!"

"We oughta pay 'em back double!"

"How dare they treat you like that!? Treat us like that! We're chosen ones!"

Desya smirked. "Yes, yes... my fellow Aquatos, I am afraid we have but one choice. We cannot pursue our destiny until the Galochios are out of the way. Therefore, they must be destroyed! Every last one of them! Especially that traitor, Adrian! He must die!" He snarled, pumping his fist in the air.

"Yes, he must die!" An acrobat shrieked.

"They all must burn!" Another agreed.

"Let us go! Let's destroy them all!"

The entire circus let out a murderous cheer. All save for Sonya, whose brow furrowed, her hand going to her heart as her husband began to rant about battle plans, a terrible, power-hungry gleam in his eyes. "Desya..." She murmured.

Something was wrong here. Very, very wrong.

--

"So... Vritra turned them against each other." Milla murmured as the reel ended. "How sad."

"_Indeed,"_ Rafael suddenly spoke up, his voice filling their heads. _"It took very little persuasion on the demon's part... from what I could tell, it was a small bit of hypnosis, but not very much."_

"Why? Why were they so quick to do that?" Lili wondered aloud.

"Yes, they seemed like such good people." Milla murmured.

"A small family circus isn't likely to get very much attention. It is likely the Aquato's were starved to recognition, and it seems they admired Desya greatly," Sasha spoke up. "It would take very little convincing for them to believe they were chosen if he was the one who told them. That combined with psychic hypnosis...it would be child's play."

"_Exactly,"_ Rafael agreed, sounding a tad bitter. _"And the Galochios were a tad bit more popular, so of course, it didn't take much to convince the fools that their long-time friends were plotting against them."_

"So what happened then?" Milla asked.

"_Isn't it obvious? They attacked," _Rafael said grimly. _"Fortunately, Adrian was able to warn the Galochios... but even so, there was little they could do. The Aquatos, whom they had been nothing but friendly towards, betrayed them. They attacked, .and in the end, the Galochios had to defend themselves. People whom had been talking and laughing together the night before were suddenly fighting to the death.There were many causalities on both sides as the two families fought...and above it all was Adrian, trying to snap his friend out of it..." _He sighed. _"Play the next reel."_

Lili blinked, then nodded, glancing over at the next memory vault. The vault let out a squeak and attempted to run away, but she merely gestured with her hand to draw it over with telekinesis. The brunette whacked the safe upside the head, then took out the reel, letting the now empty vault scuttle away.

"'The Promise'."

She glanced back at Milla and Sasha, whom wordlessly nodded. The teen then shrugged, putting the reel in.

--

Fire.

It was everywhere, eating away at the remnants of what had once been gypsy caravans. Torn apart circus tents flapped in the breeze, their colors dulled by the flames that consumed them. Smoke rose high into the night sky, nearly obscuring the crescent moon. Ashes and cinders littered the ground, along with dozens of bodies, some breathing, some not.

"DIE!" There was a bright flash of light, and quite suddenly Adrian came flying across the scene to slam into a tree with a terrible crunch. The blond then slid to the ground with a groan, blood spattered across his clothes from the numerous gashes and burns that covered his lean frame. For a moment it appeared he wouldn't get up, but then the blond's sapphire eyes fluttered open. Adrian forced himself to his feet with considerable effort, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong, Adrian? I thought for sure you would have provided more of a challenge than this," Desya, or rather, Vritra drawled as he floated over. For all of his talk, Desya's body looked just as bad as his friend's did. However, unlike Adrian, he still seemed to have energy.

Adrian scowled. "Do not talk under the guise of my friend, monster. You are doing no better," He panted out as sweat ran down his face.

"Perhaps, but it seems my nemesis has not provided you nearly enough power to survive, let alone continue fighting. This body, on the other hand, will survive," Vritra sneered.

"A body that is not rightfully yours! It is not that you are any stronger, you are merely pushing my friend beyond his limits!" Adrian cried out. "You are killing him!"

Vritra smirked. "And why should I care? So long as this body is still capable of fully functioning, I'm not leaving."

Adrian shook his head, biting his lip. "Desya! Desya, please, fight it! You have to regain control, you have to--" He was cut off by a blast of energy, which he only just barely dodged. The tree behind him was turned to ash instantaneously.

"When will you learn? He's not going to answer you," The demon sneered, flaming energy crackling in his palms. "You've ceased to be amusing, human. You die now."

The blond's eyes narrowed. "I will not die here. So long as my friend is in your clutches, I will not die," He snarled, blue energy sparking around him.

Vritra let out a soft, wicked chuckle. Then, without warning, he sent forth another blast. Adrian narrowly jumped out of the way, unleashing his own wave of psychic energy that sent his "friend" reeling back in pain. Vritra floated there for a few seconds, hissing, then surged towards Adrian with a roar, lashing out with his right hand. This sent for another blast which Adrian narrowly dodged, though he was unable to avoid the psychic fist that came afterward. This blow caught him in the stomach, sending the blond sailing through the air with a cry.

Adrian managed to right himself in midair, the wind sending his hair whipping around his grim face. He was at a disadvantage here. Indra's specialty was Aquakinesis, and unfortunately for him, that required water to be nearby for it to work. In this blazing inferno, there wasn't a single drop. Vritra, on the other hand, could create flames at will, as long as there was something to burn.

No matter. He'd have to do without.

He took a second to glance over what he had at his disposal. Ash, embers... ah, that would do. He reached out a shaking hand, gestured, and sent half of a flaming caravan flying towards his possessed friend. The brunet barely had time to register what was happening before the hulking structure of flaming wood slammed into him, sending him spiraling to the ground like a shooting star. There was a loud crash as the beast was embedded into the ground, flaming bits of wood flying everywhere.

However, Adrian didn't have time to gloat. A few seconds later Vritra shot back into the air, looking positively livid. He locked eyes with the blond, sporting a rather heavy gash to his skull. Blood caked in his reddish-brown hair, bits of it trickling down his face.

"You asked for this, child."

With that, he reared his head back and screamed. Flames began to flicker around his arms and legs, sparks at first, then slowly becoming tongues of flames that extended from his body like snakes. These soon seemed to solidify, forming a sort of giant marionette of flames modeled after Desya's likeness. Vritra himself was at the center of this, summoning the flames to him to form this great beast, the blaze swirling around him like hellfire.

At last, with a wave of searing heat, this terrifying creation was complete. It floated there before Adrian, a titan of flames. From within it Vritra finally stopped yelling and merely floated there, panting heavily from the strain it took to maintain it. After a few seconds of silence, however, he let out a harsh laugh, his jade green eyes sent alight by the very flames that consumed him, a terrible, power-hungry grin etched across his face.

Adrian watched in horror, sapphire eyes wide as he beheld this monstrosity. "Desya..." He murmured. Before, he had at least been able to see some trace of his friend in that face, some hint that Desya was still there... but now there was nothing.

With a roar Vritra launched himself at Adrian, lashing at him with blazing talons. Adrian didn't even have a chance to attempt to shield himself, he was sent flying into the air with a cry. This cry of pain was cut off by a second blow, this one sending him reeling. The third blow sent him crashing to the earth, the force enough to shake the ground with his landing.

"Uhn..." Adrian let out a groan as he forced himself to his knees, then let out a choking cough. He blinked blearily down at the thick, crimson substance that he spat out.

He was definitely losing.

Vritra floated above him, laughing. "Well now, human, what do you think? Do you still believe that your friend would be capable of that? Do you still think you'll be able to save him? Even with my nemesis within you, you have no chance to matching my strength! Do you not understand? You are going to die here, child! Once you do, nothing more will stand in my way!"

Adrian peered up at the blazing monster above him, gritting his teeth. He then floated back up into the air, trying to ignore the way his vision blurred with the movement.

"Ah, up for more? Or are you merely attempting to face your death bravely?" Vritra laughed. "Fool. You humans are all cowering fools at the end, regardless."

"I will not die," Adrian muttered. With that, he launched himself towards the beast, snarling out a battle cry. Vritra's smirk widened into a grin before he let loose his own roar. He dove down to meet Adrian, falling like a flaming meteor, a streak of burning orange.

The two met somewhere in the middle, a shockwave of pure power exploding from the two of them, stripping trees bare and sending debris flying. This time, however, instead of being knocked away, Adrian actually flew into the flames, beginning to pierce through them. The heat was nearly unbearable, but he pressed onward, a shield of psychic energy forming around him as he did so, flaring like a burning star.

At last he came to his former friend, the flames whipping around the both of them. Vritra's face was twisted into one of rage. "You!" He snarled out. "What are you doing!? You cannot... you can't! Be gone! You are going to die, do you not understand!? You are going to die!" The flames brightened in intensity, becoming white-hot and drawing a scream of agony from Adrian. However, the blond kept going until he was at last face to face with his friend, bringing up his bare hands to clench them around Vritra's.

The moment they connected, both men let out cries of agony. The contact of bare skin had put both in direct contact of the other's psyche, each now unguarded to the kind of power that would have killed an ordinary human had they come close. Adrian nearly released his friend's hands at once, as if he had touched hot coals, but by some miracle he managed to hold on.

"Desya! Desya, please hear me! You have to fight it, Desya, please! Look at what he's doing to you! Doing to your family! Please, Desya, listen to me!" Adrian pleaded through clenched teeth. "Fight it! DESYA!"

Vritra let out a harsh laugh. "Your friend is gone, you fool. Desya Aquato is no more. This is my body now, and I will not allow a simple human to deter me any longer!" He declared, though his voice was slightly shaky.

"Let. My. Friend. Go." He snarled out through clenched teeth, the flames licking at his skin.

"_Adrian! Strike now! This will be your one chance!"_ Indra suddenly cried out.

"What!?" Adrian sputtered. "No! With all this... it would kill them both!"

At this Vritra suddenly smirked. "He is right, my dear Indra. If the child strikes now, perhaps I may go... but his friend will die. You know that as well as I. Come now, Adrian... I thought you wanted to save your friend, not kill him!"

"I... I did! I won't kill him, I won't!" Adrian insisted, shaking his head. "I'll... argh, release him, you monster!"

"Yes, that's right Adrian, strike now and kill your best friend! Do it!" Vritra cackled. He dug his nails into Adrian's skin, leaning in close as the flames blazed around him. "You foolish child. Your love for him is your greatest weakness."

"_Adrian! Please, you have to do it! You have to kill him, or else you're dooming the entire world!"_

Adrian bit his lip. "But... I..."

"_Adrian... He may look like it, but he is no longer your friend. The Desya Aquato you knew is no longer there. Can't you see it?" _Indra said gently.

Adrian blinked, gazing into his former friend's face. At those jade green eyes, blazing with hellfire brighter than the flames that seared around them now. He heard that terrible laugh, so very different from the light, happy one he was so used to... and there was that grin, terrible and drunk with power. A monster.

There was no hint of his best friend in this abomination.

The blond's eyes narrowed. He released Vritra's right hand so he could pull his own back, blue energy sparking around it. Vritra, whom up to this point had been laughing, stopped, his expression becoming one of horror.

"You... no! You cannot! If you do this, your friend dies as well, Adrian! Do you hear me!? You will be murdering your own best friend! Don't do this!" Vritra cried out, a note of panic in his tone as he struggled to get out of Adrian's grip. However, with all the power he was expanding, his psyche was currently locked with Adrian's, and with their hands as the focal point... he couldn't break free. He was trapped!

"You said so yourself, Vritra," Sapphire eyes met panicked jade, sorrow and grim finality warring in their depths. "My best friend is already dead."

With that, he slammed his palm forward, directly over his former best friend's heart. There was a great burst of energy, so bright it cast the entire area in nothing but white, illuminating Vritra's silent scream and Adrian's grim face.

And then quite suddenly it was over. When the light vanished, so had Vritra's fire, leaving just him and Adrian floating in midair. After a few seconds, Adrian dropped to the earth with a thud. He lay there for a few seconds, breathing heavily, then forced himself to look up to Vritra.

The beast was still writhing in midair, letting out a wail of agony as he clawed at his own head. "I... noooooooo! No! No! NO!" He cried out. He glanced down to see Adrian and let out a roar. "You think you have won, do you!?" He snarled. "You may have expelled me this time... but I will be back! Do you understand, human!? I have bound myself to this bloodline! I will be back, and next time, nothing will be able to stop me! NOTHING! Do you hear me!?" He ranted.

Adrian merely watched on in silence as Vritra cackled. "I will be back, human. You have won this time... but I will be back. In the end, it is a bittersweet victory... your friend is dead, and I will be back. Take that knowledge and despair, human! Take that knowledge and despair!"

With that, Desya reared back, his eyes glowing orange one final time. He let out a primal roar, which at last ended in a scream that sounded far more human, then dropped bonelessly to the earth and lay still.

There was a flash of lightning, a rumble of thunder, and it started to pour.

Adrian watched his friends still body for a moment, unsure of what to do. "Desya!" He called out hoarsely.

No response save for the pouring rain.

The blond grit his teeth, forcing his aching body to move. He crawled over to his friend, then forced himself to his knees. "Desya... Desya?" He called out again, reaching out to shake his friend lightly. "Are you..."

The brunet's face gave a light twitch as raindrops fell upon it. "Uhn..."

"Desya!" Adrian exclaimed, throwing his arms around his fallen friend. "Oh, thank God..."

"Ach... A-Adrian... that hurts..." Desya choked out weakly.

"Sorry," Adrian murmured, sitting up. With considerable effort he moved Desya so he was laying in his lap, the brunet's head cushioned by his arm. The rain poured around the two, soothing their burns, wiping clean bits of blood and dirt.

Washing it all away.

"Ah... I feel like hell... you pack one hell of a punch, y'know?" Desya mumbled, cracking a weak, blood-stained smile.

Adrian didn't smile. "Damn it all... you idiot!" He hissed as he gingerly brushed a few strands of hair from his friends face. "I told you not to touch it! I told you not to do it! I told you! But no, you didn't listen, you just had to be stubborn, just like always! You never listen, you idiot, you stupid, goddamn idiot!"

"You're right... I never listen," Desya said, giving a weak laugh which soon became a heavy cough. After a few seconds of hacking the brunet spat up a large amount of blood, some of the thick substance dribbling down his chin.

"Desya--" Adrian began, but his friend cut him off.

"No, now it's your turn to be quiet. Listen... I'm so sorry, Adrian. You were right, I shouldn't have done it. I should have listened, and I didn't just like always... and now look where it's gotten us. I'm so sorry, Adrian. I'm so sorry for putting you through all this," Desya murmured weakly.

"Desya, please, don't try to talk. You'll--" Once again Adrian tried to plead, but was cut off.

"Don't try to fool yourself, Adrian. We both know... I'm going to die here." Desya murmured weakly. "So just... just hear me out, alright? Please."

"...Alright. I'm listening."

"Listen... Vritra is going to come back, Adrian. You heard him... and you know as well as I that it is true, you can sense it. It's going to reincarnate, and it'll try it all over again. It's going to keep trying until it succeeds... and it cannot succeed, do you understand me!?" Desya hissed, reaching up to grip Adrian's hand in his pale, shaking ones. "I saw what it will do...I saw! It will be so much worse than what happened here... it cannot be allowed!"

Adrian nodded. "You're right, it can't."

Desya let out a long, shuddering breath. His entire body was shivering as if he were freezing, the blood flow from his wounds slowing. His face was white as snow, the light in his jade green eyes fading. He was dying. "I... I want you to promise me something, Adrian. Only you have the power to match Vritra's, Adrian. Only you. I need you to stop it, Adrian. Every time it reincarnates, for generations to come... I need you to stop it! I need your family to stop it!"

"Stop it..." Adrian murmured, his voice sounding shaky. He had barely been able to do it once... but for eternity?

"Yes. I... I need you to do that for me... will you do this, Adrian? Will you stop this monster?" Desya asked, his breath becoming short.

"I..." Adrian bit his lip, tears coming to his eyes.

"Adrian! Promise me! Please... please, my friend, do this for me! Promise me that no matter what, you will stop Vritra!" Desya pleaded, his grip around his friends hand tightening. "Promise me, my friend! Promise me!"

The tears began flowing as Adrian nodded. "I... I promise. I'll stop him... we'll stop him," He choked out, bringing both hands up to grip Desya's.

"Every time?"

"Every time. I promise," Adrian whispered.

Desya flashed him a weak, relieved smile. "Thank you... Adrian."

Adrain gazed down at him for a moment, tears flowing down his face. He then leaned forward, planting a kiss on his friend's brow. "You're welcome," He murmured, giving his friend's hand one final squeeze. "I love you... brother."

"Yeah... yeah, you too," Desya murmured in reply, squeezing back weakly. With that, he gave a final, shuddering breath, and died.

The rain kept falling.

--

A heavy silence fell over the group as the reel ended. Finally, Lili spoke.

"Whoa."

Milla nodded, biting her lip. "That was just..." She trailed off, her voice cracking. Tears were in her emerald green eyes.

Sasha merely stood there, his dark sunglasses giving away nothing.

"...Are... is there anything else?" Milla finally spoke up after a few more seconds had ticked by.

"Yeah... one more reel," Lili muttered. "I'll get it." She shuffled over to the final vault, which seemed to be have been effected by the mood of the last reel, as it gave no resistance to Lili cracking it open. She glanced over the dusty reel for a moment, then walked over to the player.

"...It's called 'The Curse'," She said, putting the it in.

--

The Aquato circus looked slightly different in the hours of night than it did during the day. Brightly colored tents seemed to transform into looming, disfigured monsters, old canvas flapping eerily in the wind. A lonely trapeze hung over forgotten tightropes and nets, the animals gave low moans and growls in their respective cages.

At the center of it, however, things were far different. It was there that the Aquatos were once again gathered, murmurs of angered excitement upon their lips, flaming torches clenched in their fists. However, this time wood had been piled up onto the podium, and it was there that a stake had been erected.

Tied to this stake, at the center of it, was Adrian, looking worse than he had mere hours earlier, after the battle had been over.

"Aquato's... Aquato's, please, listen to me!" He called out, his voice echoing across the circus grounds. "You have it all wrong! I am not the enemy here!"

"Lies!"

"Filthy Galochio! You'll pay for what you've done to our leader!"

Adrian shook his head. "No, you don't understand! Desya was possessed by a demon! A demon, Vritra! Had I not fought him, he would have destroyed the entire world! That monster was using you as its pawns!"

"Silence, traitor! We are chosen ones!"

"No excuses! You murdered your best friend in cold blood out of jealousy!"

"Yes! You must pay!"

"No, no, you don't get it!" Adrian cried. "You have been deceived by a terrible creature, and it will be back! You must listen to me, you must stop this! Together, perhaps we can find a way to stop Vritra from coming again, perhaps we can find a way to prevent more like Desya!"

"We don't care! Save your excuses, traitor! No amount of pleading will save you now!"

"Yes! And once you are gone, we will fulfill the duty our leader gave us!"

"Yeah!"

"SILENCE!" Sonya's voice suddenly cut through all the pandemonium, quieting the Aquatos almost instantly. She stood on the stage with a torch in hand, the firelight reflecting in her amber eyes, her black hair swirling around her.

An angel of death.

"Sonya," Adrian murmured as she turned to him, a woman whom merely twenty-four hours earlier he had spoken to and laughed with. "Sonya, please, you have to listen to me. Surely you noticed there was something wrong with your husband! Surely you understand!"

Sonya glared at him. "I know not what has happened this night. I understand not what happened to my husband. All that I know is that my husband is dead, and you are the one who murdered him in cold blood," She hissed, her eyes flashing orange for a moment. "Do you truly believe I could forgive that, Adrian!? I loved my husband! I always knew him hanging around you and your family was foul news, but I never said anything! Never! Now he is dead, and who is to blame!? His traitorous best friend!"

Adrian's eyes widened in horror. "Sonya... Sonya, no, that's not--"

"Silence!" Sonya snarled, cutting him off. "You will pay, do you hear me!? You will pay, you and your sons and their sons and their sons after that! Your entire family, you will all pay!"

"...You're all mad," Adrian whispered.

Sonya's face twisted into a terrible grin as she stepped back, the flames beginning to whip around her, forming into strange runes in the air. "With this fire, I curse you, Adrian Galochio. You and your decendents, every last one of you! I hereby curse you all to die in these flames!" She cackled, her throaty voice booming through the night air. "The blaze will grow at the mere whisper of your name, the tongues of fire will forever thirst for your flesh! There will be no escape, none, until at last every one of you is naught but ash! So it is spoken, so it shall be!"

The flaming runes flew from Sonya to Adrian, then began to swirl around him, becoming a solid band of fire. Adrian pressed himself against the stake he was tied to, trying to escape the searing heat. However, there was little he could do as the flames converged on him, drawing a howl of pain from his lips as they formed a great pillar of fire.

And then, quite suddenly, the fire was gone. Adrian slumped in his bonds, panting for breath. Sonya watched him for a moment, then smirked, stepping up to him. She grabbed a fistful of the blond's hair and pulled it back from the man's neck, ignoring his grunt of pain as she did so.

There it was, glowing searingly bright like a brand. It was a long, black oval shape, with a thin eye etched into it, though instead of a pupil there was a thick teardrop. To its left was a thin, swirling line that twisted downwards, a single dot placed below this.

"The mark of Aquato," Sonya murmured, tracing her fingertips over the mark. "Now every Galochio brought into existence will have this mark... looks like my curse worked, hm?"

Adrian shook his head. "This is cruel, Sonya... my descendants have done nothing to you," He croaked weakly.

"Pity. I suppose they won't be too happy with you, then," Sonya sneered, stepping away. "Now then... let's make you the first to fulfill that curse, shall we?" She said, holding up the torch. She glanced back at the rest of her family, nodding. "Now!" She called out, stepping off of the podium. With that, each Aquato tossed their torch onto the stage. The wood at Adrian's feet caught fire almost instantly, smoke trailing up into the night sky.

Adrian looked from Sonya out to the rest of the Aquatos, watching the firelight dance across their faces. After a few moments he sighed, hanging his head in defeat. The fire danced around him, slowly growing higher and higher, the heat beginning to rise. "Maybe this is judgment for not being able to stop it all. If that's the case... so be it," He coughed out through the smoke. "As long as my descendants fill out my promise for me... then it will be alright."

"Master Adrian!" A voice suddenly cried out. Adrian's head shot up, his eyes widening.

The remaining members of the Galochio family were charging towards the Aquato circus, their own make-shift weapons in hand, rage etched across their faces. "We've come to save you, master!" One called out.

"And give some payback to this demonic lot!" Another agreed. "Just like you asked us to! We'll stop Vritra from ever returning!"

"We'll kill them all, just like they tried to do to us!"

"YEAH!"

"What!?" Adrian coughing out, his eyes watering from the smoke and flame. "No, stop! Go back! No more fighting, please! This isn't the answer, please, go back! Leave me! Leave me!"

"Ah, there's the rest of the murderous dogs!" An Aquato sneered.

"Let's show 'em what happens to those who dare mess with our leader!" Another cried out.

"Kill 'em all! Kill 'em all!"

"No, stop! Stop, this isn't right! Please, if you just work together, perhaps you could--" Adrian was cut off by a coughing fit, sweat sliding down his brow. "Stop... no, no, this isn't what he asked for at all... it's all a big misunderstanding, stop!"

Either both families didn't hear him, or they weren't listening. Regardless, they both charged, fighting breaking out once again among their respective groups. Neither would be counseled by this point. The Aquatos were still completely under Vritra's spell, and both were too blinded with rage by the other family's actions to stop and consider what was truly going on. The Aquatos were convinced they were on a mission sent by the Gods, the Galochio's convinced they were meant to eliminate some sort of demonic force...

And the only one who had any idea of what was truly going on was being burned alive.

"No... no... stop..." Adrian pleaded, his voice so weak by this point no one would have heard them if he tried. The heat was becoming unbearable, he couldn't think. All he could see by this point was the swirling orange of the fire around him. "Please... this isn't what I promised him. You... you fools," With those final words, the flames consumed him.

The battling families didn't even notice.

--

"So... that's it." Raphael said after the three psychics had exited his mind. "The Galochios, in retribution for the curse placed upon their family, cursed us to die in water... every last one of us. Only fair... right?" He asked with a slightly bitter smile.

"So ever since then, you've been fighting?" Milla asked quietly from her seat at the table.

Raphael nodded grimly. "Ever since. The Aquatos traveled the word, doing deed after awful deed in the name of their fallen 'leader', while the Galochios followed, doing everything in their power to deter them."

"But you don't do anything of that sort now," Sasha observed.

The acrobat shook his head. "It took us many years, but we Aquatos did eventually come to our senses. By the time our family finally managed to gain some sort of sense as to what they were doing... there was nothing they could do to stop it. The Galochios had twisted by the weight of their responsibility and power. Even when we attempted to make peace, they wouldn't have it. By that point they were determined to wipe out every last one of us... and why shouldn't they? Even after we finally realized what we had been doing was wrong, it did nothing to stop Vritra from returning. Every time, there was nothing we could do but watch as one of our own became a monster, and was then slayed by the Galochios."

"Didn't you try to get rid of it? I mean, surely there had to be some way, right?" Lili asked.

The older Aquato shook his head again. "We tried everything. Nothing worked. In the end, there was nothing we could do but keep traveling and try to suppress our powers in hopes to keep Vritra from manifesting , the Galochios hot on our trail. But... I suppose that's only fair, after everything we did." He murmured sadly.

"No... no it's not," Lili muttered, clenching the edge of the bunk where she was seated. "It's not fair to punish the entire family for a mistake you made years ago."

Raph shook his head. "Perhaps not not... but at the same time, it was our family's foolishness in the first place that landed us in this predicament. Now we seem to be locked in an eternal battle, both families cursed to die terrible deaths... and neither curse will lift while a member of the other family is still living."

"...But... when Nereus showed up, Razputin said he thought the Galochio's were dead... how could he think that if the curse is still in place?" Milla asked.

Raphael's dark brown eyes met hers for a moment before he looked away. "Razputin..." He gave a heavy sigh. "I wasn't sure what to tell him. A few days after he was born was the last time the Galochio's were seen. By that time the only remaining Aquatos were myself, him, and his mother... and they killed his mother. I was able to just barely fight them off and protect Razputin, but they promised they would be back at some point. It was fate, they said."

"Now... if your child were cursed at birth... what would you do? What could I do!? I traveled the world with what was left of the family circus, desperate to find a way to prevent what history had already proven to be inevitable. I found an explanation as to why it had all happened... but no answers as to how to prevent it. I wasn't sure what to do. I had hoped, perhaps, that I would be lucky and Razputin would not show any psychic powers, but at the age of four he proved himself to be a powerful telepath."

"So... that's the reason you made him train so hard when he was younger. You really _were_ trying to suppress his powers," Lili murmured, glaring at the elderly acrobat.

"...Yes, I suppose I did," Raphael said with a sigh. "But you must understand... it wasn't that I had anything against psychics, being psychic myself. I just wanted to keep my son safe, even if it meant forcing him to do things he didn't like. So I tried to keep him from the psychic community, tried to distract him, keep him from developing his powers, all in an interest keep him safe. But then..."

"...He ran away and became a Psychonaut," Milla finished for him.

Raphael nodded. "He did. At first, I was outraged... but when I saw what my son could do, I reconsidered. Perhaps... suppressing his powers wasn't the way to go about it. Maybe, just maybe, Razputin, my son, could be the one to find the true answer... and as the years went by, for awhile I thought that perhaps he had somehow found a way to stop it. And as I grew more hopeful... I thought perhaps I would never have to tell him the truth... perhaps I would never have to tell him of the curse more horrible than the Hand of Galochio that had been placed upon us..." At this Raphael trailed off, giving a sad laugh.

"I waited too long. I should have told him. I should have known... you cannot erase the past, no matter how terrible and no matter how much you want to. But I didn't, and now my son will pay the price." He sighed, putting his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Razputin. I'm so sorry."

--

Milla's car was silent on the ride back to camp, each of its occupants lost in their own thoughts. Sasha ended up being the one driving, as Milla was apparently too tired to do so and was zoning out in the passenger seat. Lili was curled up in the backseat, her knees brought up to her chin as she stared out the window into the night sky, amber eyes unfocused.

"So," Milla finally spoke up. "...Now what?"

"I'm not sure. I suppose we will have to wait until Razputin's whereabouts are found to really do anything," Sasha said. "I do have some theories... but until we find him, I can't exactly test them. But if they work... I think I may have found an explanation to this entire mess."

Milla sighed. "Still trying to find some sort of scientific way to prove that his curse isn't real?"

"I'm just saying there has to be some sort of explanation, that's all," Sasha muttered. "Besides, if they are proven true... well, I'm not entirely positive, but there's a chance it may help Razputin..."

"Really? If that's the case... I hope they turn out to be true. I really hope so." Milla said, letting her head rest on Sasha's shoulder. The German Psychonaut didn't move.

Lili remained silent in the backseat as she stared up at the night sky. So, now she knew the story behind the entire mess... but how could she fix it?

It was then that Milla's communicator suddenly went off, its catchy, energetic ring tone breaking the silence. Milla jumped, then dug into her purse for a moment. She pulled out the little machine, the Psychonauts emblem glowing pink and purple as she flipped it open and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

There was silence for a few moments as whoever was on the other end spoke. "What!? Really!?" Milla suddenly exclaimed, sitting straight up, her grip tightening almost painfully on Sasha's arm. "That's excellent, darling! Nice work! Yes, yes, get everyone else together! We'll be there right away!" With that, she snapped the communicator shut. "They found him!"

"What!? Really!?" Lili cried, suddenly leaning forward, her fingers clenching into the seat beneath her. "Where is he!? How is he!? Who found him!?" She demanded.

"Well, they aren't sure as to his condition, but Maloof's, ah... 'people' have confirmed his whereabouts. He's underneath Vita Springs." Milla said.

"Vita Springs? Of course...that was one of the highest psitanium deposits in the world, after Whispering Rock," Sasha said, eyebrows raising. "The agency abandoned their base there after they removed most of the mineral for the creation of some of the better psychic containment prisons... even so, the area should still have enough left to mess up any scanners should they go over it, and it's out of the way enough that no one would stumble upon it."

"The perfect place for a psychic mastermind," Milla commented.

"So, that's it then. We know where he is," Lili said. "So what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up and get to camp! We have to get all the campers back together!"

"Of course, and I'm sure now that Morry's awake he'll want to come along," Milla grinned.

"Yeah! Come on Sasha, step on it!" Lili commanded.

Sasha chuckled. "Whatever you say, Miss Zanotto," He said, stepping up on his speed just a bit.

Lili nodded. "That's right!" She grinned, punching a fist into an open palm.

"We've got a rescue mission to plan!"

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Okay guys, so here's the deal. You review... or else Raz just might not get rescued. Do you want that? I don't think so. So if I were you, I would review._


	13. Bittersweet

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Thirteen: Bittersweet**

**--**

_Annnd here's the chapter that was originally the last of the weekly updates. This a shame, but you can blame my other fic, Twenty-Five Days, for that. For those of you who don't know, it was a Christmas fic that I updated every day from December first to Christmas... suffice to say, it was a very, very bad idea to try to do this without starting much earlier so I had a backlog of chapters ready to go by the time December hit. I basically spent all of the Christmas season of 2006 nearly dead. If I had worked on CP on top of that, I probably would have killed myself. Good times._

_On the bright side, this chapter is pretty nifty. This one and chapter fourteen were originally supposed to be one chapter, but once again things got ridiculously long and so I decided to split things up. Notice how this is becoming a running trend?_

_Many thanks to my beta reader, Kaya, for the fantastic ending to the first scene. It's amazing, and the last line summarizes Nereus perfectly. So right, do be sure to praise her for an awesome job there!_

_Er... well, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!_

_Suggested listening music is_ For The Reunion (Track 5)_, _A Song of Storm and Fire (Track 11) _and _Rap is A Man's Spirit... Was... You Know_ from _Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (Track 12)_. Yes, I know it has a funny name, but trust me, it's a nice song._

--

"It's been nearly two days, Razputin." Nereus's voice echoed through the room.

Raz let out a weak groan, cracking open one jade green eye. "What do you want?" He asked weakly, voice hoarse. He was still shaking, but it was more of a reflex than anything else by now. He didn't have the energy to struggle anymore, didn't have the energy to thrash, to scream, to do anything. He could barely keep his eyes open, barely speak, barely think. He was beyond even being able to want to do something, anything to make it all stop.

All he knew was pain. Pain, and the fact that he was losing. How he was even still living at this point, he didn't know. He just knew pain and nothing more.

Nereus watched him silence for a moment, looking almost sorrowful. "Why must you continue to fight me like this, Razputin? It will amount to no good in the end."

Raz said nothing.

The blond let out a long sigh. "Surely you don't wish to suffer forever?"

No reply.

"Razputin, please... you must give in. You are only delaying the inevitable, you know this," Nereus said gently as he paced along the glass floor. "Just let it all go, let Vritra take control. It's only destiny taking its course... you cannot fight destiny, Razputin. All things must come to pass eventually. Do not fight fate, my brother."

Silence.

Nereus let out another sigh, levitating up to Raz. "Come now Razputin, listen to reason," He murmured, reaching out to stroke Raz's hair as if he were some sort of pet. "Please... I don't enjoy doing this to you, you must understand. To see you in pain... oh, I cannot even begin to describe it. It hurts me so much... but you are so beautiful, so exquisite, even like this. Don't you understand, Razputin?" As he spoke he moved from Raz's hair to his face, gently caressing it. "You belong at my side. Please... surely I must be getting through to you?"

Raz let out shuddering breath, then finally replied. "S-so... my fate is to play yes man to a psychotic pretty boy?" He panted out, flashing a weak, but defiant grin. "S-sorry... but I think I've got other plans."

Nereus's eyes narrowed. Then, without warning, he pulled back his arm and backhanded the teen across the face. Raz's head shot back, stars dancing before his eyes as Nereus steadied him by reaching out to grip his jaw.

"And what, may I ask, are these other plans?" He snarled out, sapphire eyes flashing dangerously.

Raz just grinned again.

Nereus let out another sigh. "My poor Razputin... do you have delusions of being rescued?" He drawled, caressing the teen's face again. "You foolish child... what makes you think that? Your friends aren't your friends anymore, you know that. Why would your friends come rescue a monster? A beast like you doesn't deserve salvation."

At this Raz gave a bitter laugh. "Maybe so. But I'm not expecting them to rescue me. I don't want them to. If they do, they'll just get hurt... just like at Ferrowbrooks."

"Then why fight? Razputin, don't you understand? Even when you deserve nothing, I still give you my love, and yet you continue to fight me. You have my love... so why not accept it?"

Raz laughed again. "Your love? You call this love?" He asked. "You've got some twisted notions of love, then. This isn't love, Nereus. This is cruelty. This is insane."

Nereus once again smacked Raz across the face, the sound echoing through the room. Raz let out a hiss of pain, this time tasting blood. "Fool," Nereus hissed, bringing himself so close that they were practically nose to nose. "A demon like you could never understand love," He murmured as he wiped away some of the blood that was now leaking from his captive's newly split lip.

"Maybe not," Raz said weakly. "But neither can you."

Nereus glared at him for a moment. He pulled back his arm, looking as if he were about to slap Raz again. However, at the last second he paused, and instead glanced over at the computers. He gave a light twitch of his fingers, and another notch on the machine Raz was held in lit up.

Raz let out a strangled, choked cry, his body twitching as the pain assaulted him with a new intensity.

"Say what you wish," Nereus snapped, turning and floating back to the floor. "In the end, you will understand. You will break, and you will obey me." With that he stalked out of the room, Raz's renewed cries echoing in his mind long after the doors closed behind him.

The blond stalked through the halls of his base, any soldiers whom happened to walking through it at the time hastening to get out of the way and bow as he passed. The metallic hallways glistened as he walked through them, each shined so perfectly that one could have used them as mirrors. The walls themselves were made of thick glass, with the cavern walls visible just beyond them, shimmering with bits of Psitanium. Occasionally there was a doorway here and there, each doorway leading to another hallway, which would lead to more enclosed spaces for things like the soldiers' quarters, the armory, and the labs. A good year had gone into the base's creation, and even now things were still being added on.

It was elaborate. Fit for the one who would soon rule the entire world.

At last Nereus made it through the entire base and came to a secluded hallway, which led to a pair of shimmering glass doors. The moment he stepped up to these doors they slid open, allowing him passage into his own personal sanctuary. Like most of the base, the floor was plain stainless steel, but about a fourth of the way into the room the floor went down deeper into the ground to become a set of steps that lead into a calm, glistening pool of water. There was also a variety of book shelves, glass tables and chairs, as well as a tall, elaborate bed with silky, transparent white sheets that rarely went used.

Nereus collapsed in a chair, the ends of his silvery trenchcoat falling around him as he put his face in his hands. "I just don't understand... why does he continue to fight? Why can't he see?" The blond murmured quietly.

After a few moments of silence Nereus let out a long sigh. "Foolish boy... can he not see that I love him? Why can't he see that?" He said to himself as he absently reached out towards the pool and motioned, using aquakinesis to make the water rise up and swirl around in the air.

"...Love... no... that's not right. He's a fool... he's an Aquato... I _hate _him," The blond hissed, his hand twitching slightly. "Cursed my entire family... cursed me. He's a demon and I hate him. I HATE HIM!" He screamed, sending the water splattering back into the pool.

"No...no...wait. That's not right either." He said after a moment, his earlier cry still echoing through the room. He reached out to lift the water into the air again, eye twitching slightly. "I don't hate him... I don't hate him... he's just misled, that's all. Misled...that's why I have to do this. I'm doing the right thing. It had to be done for the good of all psychic kind." After a few moments of silence he laughed, as if he had been told some great joke. "But when he twitches... when he screams... ahaha... it's so... it's so... no, no... it's beautiful. It's all so beautiful. And with that I will make the entire world beautiful! THE ENTIRE WORLD!" He cackled madly.

"But he says that's not love... no, no, he's wrong." Nereus muttered, running a hand through his hair. "He's wrong, it's all wrong.. all wrong... stupid Aquato cannot understand, but I'll... I'll... no... no..." He reached up to grip at his scalp shuddering.

"I don't understand. What is wrong with me? Why can't I...no, no, nothing is wrong. This is right. This is right!" He muttered. "That foolish little boy's words are playing tricks on me, it's all playing tricks on me, that's all! Just like Inoue, just like Spinoza, father, just like all of them!" At this shout he squeezed his hand into a fist, sending the water he had been controlling splattering into a puddle on the floor.

Silence, save for the soft dripping of water.

"...Perhaps some music will help." Nereus muttered, glancing at the small radio one of his soldiers had offered him.

"_Click_" went the radio as intangibleness ghosted across its dial.

_"Gypsies, tramps and thieves, that's what the people of the town they called us. Gyspies, tramps and thie--"_

"_Crack!" _went the radio as its front panel buckled inward from something unseen, the dial's knob popping off the mechanism and rolling across the floor until it came to settle by the leg of the chair. There was a pause, a moment of silence but for the steady "drip, drip, drip" of the water, and then the dial soared across the room, landing with a soft "plunk" within the growing puddle in a corner.

Nereus laughed. He laughed until he screamed. Screamed until he cried. Cried until he smiled.

--

Vita springs was for the most part, very quiet. It was just a small area of springs in the mountains, an area where the cold water babbled up from the rocks and flowed down in rivers and streams. The great pine trees swayed in the night breeze, the only sound save for the occasional hoot of an owl or the howl of a lone coyote.

Except for, you know, the quiet whispered cheers of Clem and Crystal as the entire gang made their way to the springs.

"March, march, march!" Clem cheered quietly.

"Rescue, rescue, rescue! Go team go!" Crystal added.

"Tarnation, guys, we're tryin' to be stealthy here!" JT suddenly exclaimed.

"Yeah guys, come on. Be quiet!" Elton hissed.

"...Sorry," Both Cheerleaders murmured.

"Alright, Miss Zanotto, we have arrived," Maloof suddenly spoke up at the front of the group.

Lili's brow furrowed as she peeked through the trees. Sure enough, there it was. Though it looked like a sheer cliff wall, the brunette could definitely sense the waves of psychic energy coming off of it. And of course, the two guards clad in tight, silvery uniforms could be seen pacing around it.

That was it. The entrance to Nereus' lair.

"Looks like he got the old cloaking technology working," Milla murmured. Sasha gave a nod of agreement.

"Bastards," Oleander growled from beside them, peering through the bushes. He still had a rather sizable lump on his head from where he'd been knocked out a few nights earlier, but had insisted on coming along anyway. "Stealing Psychonauts technology... that stupid blond kid acts like he's so smart, but all he's doing is using what we already made."

"Big deal. We'll break in, Psychonauts' technology or not," Lili muttered, then turned back to the campers. "So, does everyone remember the plan?"

Mikhail nodded. "Mikhail and big-haired boy take care of tiny men at door. Give keycards to boss."

"After that we all sneak in, rescue Raz and the campers, and get out... right?" Dogen finished shyly.

Lili smiled. "You bet. That's what we're gonna do."

"..Well, I can dig it," Quentin said with a shrug.

Phoebe nodded and smirked. "Doesn't sound like that big of a deal," She declared.

Vernon suddenly held up his hand as if he were in school. Lili rolled her eyes and gestured to him. "Yes, Vernon?"

"So... uh... what happens if we get caught?" The nasal-voiced boy inquired.

Bobby smacked the boy across the back of the head, eliciting a monotone yelp from him. "Then we do that, only ten times harder, duh! You know, like how I used to kick your butt all the time, except this time directed at the other guys," He said, folding his arms and rolling his eyes. "Loser. Even _you_ can at least throw a punch, right?"

"Bobby, don't beat up the nasally human," Chloe admonished.

"Sorry," Bobby muttered, blushing.

Milla frowned. "I'm... not so sure about this. Perhaps you should all just stay out here. I mean... you're all so young, I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt. Besides, this plan isn't very well thought out," She murmured, ringing her hands, apparently having second thoughts. "This isn't just a course at Whispering Rock... this is the real deal, children."

"So what?" Bobby snapped, looking aggravated. "Are you saying we can't take 'em!?"

"We're not kids anymore, eh?" Chops piped up.

The other campers all gave similar disgruntled exclamations, until Sasha motioned for them all to be quiet. "They're right, Miss Vodello. These are not children anymore. They're all sixteen or older, they're nearly adults. Some of them are agents already, and more of them soon will be," He stated speaking up for the first time and drawing looks of awe from his former students. Sasha was actually speaking on their behalf!? The German man gave a small smile. "They're all young, perhaps. But so is Razputin... and if anything, they are his friends. That... well, I suppose that may count for something. I for one think they will all be fine."

Milla stared at him for a moment, then clicked her tongue. "Ayiyiyi, Sasha..."

"Milla, give it a rest already. These guys are highly trained soldiers!" Oleander declared, grinning as he glanced at his former students. "I'd like to think after all these years they've learned _something_, right?"

Lili sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Come on, Milla. What choice do we have? We're breaking into what is apparently a very, very full base of an evil mastermind. Don't we need all the help we can get?"

The Brazillian watched her for a moment, then sighed as well. "I suppose you're right."

Lili nodded, then turned back to the former campers. "Good. Well then, let's--"

"Hey, um, Lili," Elton suddenly interrupted.

The brunette sighed, irritated at being interrupted from getting this plan under way. "What is it, Elton?" She growled, trying to mask her irritation.

"Um... this Nereus guy... he's been messing with Raz's dreams, right? And he's in control of a whole army... is he strong?"

Lili was silent for a moment. What could she say? According to what Raphael had told them, Nereus technically had powers like Raz did, except unlike Raz, he had access to them and could control them. But they had yet to see him actually display that power... and how was she supposed to explain that anyway? "Oh and by the way, my boyfriend has some sort of demon inside of him and yeah, so does the bad guy, come on let's go?" Yeah, that would work.

Even so, she couldn't lie. "Yeah Elton... I'm pretty sure he is," She said quietly.

Elton swallowed. "O-oh... so what happens if we run into him?" He asked, looking nervous.

Lili frowned. "I... look, we'll think of that when we come to it, okay Elton?" She said, trying to sound more sure than she felt. She honestly had no idea what they would do, all she could seem to think of was bashing Nereus' face in.

"...'Kay."

Silence for a few seconds.

"Well, Razputin isn't going to get rescued just standing around here," Milla stated, hands on her hips. "You're not all kids anymore... you're all nearly adults now, some of you will be Psychonauts soon. So if you ask me, I think you'll all be fine. Right, Sasha?" She said, glancing over at her partner.

"Of course," Sasha stated.

Oleander smirked. "Soldiers, prepare for battle!" He called out, earning looks from Sasha and Milla that he ignored as he began to pace and ramble in his typical 'I am in the army rawr!' voice. "And remember, this ain't no sissy basic braining course, this is the real deal! We've got real psychic madmen in there.. there's a chance some of you may not come out alive! But you've been training for years, so let's see what you've all got! We--"

Lili rolled her eyes. "Alright coach, we get it. Shut up. We know how dangerous it is and it's a war and blahblahblah," She cut him off.

Oleander scowled, turning to glare at her. "Don't you give me your lip, soldier!" He snapped. "This is... oh, alright, alright." He sighed and shuffled back, folding his arms and grumbling something about how youngsters these days had no appreciation for proper drama.

The brunette smirked, then turned back to her fellow former campers, putting her hands on her hips as she surveyed their faces. Some looked concerned, some honestly scared, while others were determined and some, like Bobby, simply looked aggravated by all the talking and were more than ready to go. Lili took a deep breath. "Well... he's right guys, this is gonna be dangerous. But we can do this. Come on guys, it's for Raz!"

The campers all shot each other looks, but after a few moments each of them seemed to have summoned up their courage, for they all gave nods. Lili returned them with one of her own.

"Alright. Mikhail, Bobby, you're up," She said.

Mikhail nodded. "Mikhail will do his best, so long as tall boy stays out of way." He said, wrinkling his nose as he glanced at Bobby.

Bobby scowled at him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Commie. Let's just get this over with." With that, they both went invisible, the only sounds that hinted that they were there coming from the rustling of the trees. All was silent for a moment. Then, with the flash of a bright psychic fist, one of the guards collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The other guard gave a yelp of confusion, but didn't manage much more before he too was out.

A few minutes later the entire group was slinking through the now open passage as Maloof pocketed two key cards. They were spotted with a bit of blood here and there, but were for the most part fine. "Good work, Misha."

"Thank you, tiny boss," Mikhail said with a nod.

Dogen frowned. "Um... Lili? Doesn't this seem a bit... too easy?" He asked quietly.

Lili's brow furrowed. "A little. But I guess we..." She trailed off as they turned the first corner, amber eyes widening.

There, crowding the entire hallway, were dozens of soldiers, each clad in the same silvery uniform. They were of varying shapes and sizes, though each could clearly hold their own in a fight. However, some soldiers seemed to be acting of their own accord, while others had the same glazed look as the campers Inoue had taken control of had, their eyes glowing a soft blue. Scattered among these soldiers were kids, ages seven and up, each with glowing blue eyes and clad in a uniform that hardly seemed to fit them.

The former campers stood in silence for a moment, staring at their new-found opposition. All was silent, so quiet that no one dared even breath.

"...Shit," Bobby cursed.

That did it. With a cry Nereus's soldiers attacked, some sending forth a storm of Psi-blasts while others struck out with their psychic fists. The former campers responded by bringing up shields to deflect the blasts, sending beams of psychic energy ricocheting through the entire hallway, denting the steel floors and cracking glass walls.

"Hey, hey, hey! Fighting's not the way!" Crystal cried out as she narrowly avoided a blow. She then let out a yelp as Clem dove at her, creating a shield around them both just as dozens of Psi-blasts rained down on both of them.

Once the blasts cleared Clem looked to Crystal and nodded before shooting back. "B-but that doesn't mean we can't defend ourselves!" He insisted, face set into one of determination.

"Yeah! Go, go!" Crystal cheered, firing her own psychic blasts, though they were a bit erratic.

"Hey, hey, come on now little doggies!" JT sputtered as he dodged miniature Psi-blasts from several kids.

"Y-yeah! Come on, I don't want to have to hurt you, eh!? I'm a lover, not a fighter!" Chops cried as he blocked several kids blows, looking alarmed.

In spite of the best friends' protests, the kids continued to attack until they had JT and Chops backed up against one another. "Um... JT, bro, what do we do?" Chops asked. "We can't fight kids!"

JT's eyes narrowed. "Maybe not. But it looks like we're gonna have to. Just try an' round 'em up without hurtin' any of 'em."

Chops let out a long sigh. "Guess you're right..."

With that the two attacked, trying their best to ensure that their strikes would only knock the kids out as quickly as possible.

If one looked closely, they could just barely see Milka darting from opponent to opponent on quick, invisible feet, appearing only to knock one out with a quick blow before vanishing once more. Elton, on the other hand, had apparently become an excellent marksmen over the years, as his bright blue psi-blasts ricocheted from soldier to soldier, taking the "two birds with one stone" saying almost literally.

Maloof, meanwhile, stood off to the side, occasionally blasting things. He had yet to be touched, however, as Mikhail was doing everything in his power to keep his "tiny boss" from harm. He telekinetically took hold of several of Nereus' soldiers at once, eliciting yelps of pain from all of them, and then tossed them all like dolls into other soldiers.

"I see the group move still works," Maloof commented appreciatively as he Psi-blasted another soldier that came at him from behind.

"Of course. Stand back, Tiny Boss, am going to use Deadly Nelson now. Would not want you to be splattered by blood from internal bleeding," Mikhail said nonchalantly as Chloe quite suddenly flew past, sending incredibly precise shots everywhere.

"This is how we do things on my home planet!" She declared, dropping down and kicking a soldier in the head.

"Y'know, this reminds me of a story..." Vernon drawled in monotone as he was backed up again a wall by an attacker. "Back when I was in elementary school, there used to be this bully, and he would take my lunch money every day. That was always terrible because I never got to eat lunch, and my mom would always get mad at me. So one day I stood up to the bully, and do you know what he did?"

At this the attacker finally managed to land a solid hit on the nasal-voiced teen, causing him to let out a cry in monotone as he was slammed against the wall. "Yup..." He groaned as he slid down. "That's _exactly_ what he did."

Just as it looked as if Vernon's attacker was about to land a finishing blow, he suddenly paused. The soldier sniffed the air for a moment...then let out a scream as his hair suddenly caught aflame. The soldier screeched in pain, running away.

"Hey Vernon, are you alright?" Dogen asked as he knelt down to help Vernon to his feet. Vernon blinked dazedly at him, then nodded.

"You know, this reminds me of a time when..."

But Dogen was already gone, setting more heads on fire.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Quentin yelped as he levitated to avoid a blast, his scarf fluttering around him. "Make love, not war dudes!"

"I don't think they're gonna listen, Quentin!" Phoebe growled as she gave a twitch, setting a good twenty or so soldiers on fire at once. On occasion, her former 'problem' could come in handy!

Quentin gave a sigh as he landed, sending forth a psi-blast of his own. "I know, but I really don't like this..." He muttered, brow furrowing.

Sasha and Milla were falling into their usual rhythm, standing back to back as they fought against whatever came their way. Lili was backed against them as well, lashing out with everything she had. However, it seemed no matter how much they fought, there was no end to their opponents! They just kept coming!

"Where the hell are these guys coming from!?" Lili exclaimed as she knocked down several with a psychic fist, then lit another on fire.

Milla shook her head, sweat beading on her brow. "I don't know, sweetie. But this used to be a very, very large base," She said as she shot down another soldier.

"Perfect," Sasha murmured sarcastically as he psi-blasted multiple soldiers down at once. He wasn't known as a renowned psychic marksmen for nothing!

"What's wrong, Sasha, getting tired already!?" Oleander sneered as he used telekinesis to sent several soldiers flying. At first many had assumed his small size would have him easy to take out, but now it seemed a good portion were aiming only for him solely out of desperate hope that with numbers they could eventually overwhelm his otherwise stunning combat skills.

The German snorted as he dodged a blast. "Hardly, Morry. I was more concerned for you. You seem a little _short_ of breath," He smirked.

Oleander smirked as his shield suddenly came up, impaling multiple soldiers on the spikes coming off of it. "It's alright, at least I'm capable of taking out more than _Nein_."

Milla huffed as she flung a soldier with telekinesis. "Honestly you two, we have a battle going on here! This is not the time for terrible puns!"

"No kidding!" Lili snapped. "Argh, we're never going to get out of here and save Raz at this rate!" She scowled, actually kicking out at a soldier with her physical boot and knocking him clear across the room in her anger.

"Then shut the fuck up and go save him already, Zanotto!" Bobby called out from where he was punching out yet another opponent.

Lili blinked in confusion. "What!? What the hell are you babbling about!?" She snapped as she telekinetically chucked a soldier into several others, her pigtails whipping around her as she turned to gape at Bobby.

"You heard me! You guys hurry up and go save the circus freak!" Bobby sneered.

"Ah, good plan soldier!" Oleander called out, grinning as he psiblasted another soldier, the green blast ricocheting off of several more. "Split our forces! I like it!"

Milla's brow furrowed. "Are you sure about that, darling? There is a lot to deal with, here."

"It's no problem, Milla, we can handle it!" Milka called out as she reappeared for a moment.

"Yeah, that's right, you heard her!" Chops agreed.

"Go on, get out of here! We'll cover for you!" Elton called out.

"Stop looking so worried, Milla!" Oleander exclaimed, glancing up at them and grinning for a moment. "I'll stay back and watch after the little spoonbenders, alright!?"

Sasha blinked in surprise. Oleander was actually willing to stay behind? "Morry... are you certain?"

Oleander rolled his eyes as he dove under another blast. "Did I stutter! Move, soldier, move!" He called out, his gruff voice ringing through the din of battle.

Lili, Sasha, and Milla all stared at the former campers of Whispering Rock and Oleander for a moment. Then, finally, Lili nodded.

"Thanks, you guys. I promise we'll get him back." She said before turning to Sasha and Milla. "Come on guys, let's go!"

Bobby grinned. "You better. Hurry it up, Ice Queen, I've got six years of beatings to catch up on!" He cackled as he slammed a fist into a nearby soldier.

Lili didn't even bother dignifying that with a reply, she just turned and ran down the hallway, Sasha and Milla right behind her.

--

Fortunately for the trio, apparently most of the guards were too preoccupied with the chaos the former campers were causing at the entrance to be guarding the hallways. For the few soldiers that were there, it took very little stealth to get past them. After some time, they themselves standing before a pair of double doors. The doors were a plain, stainless steel with the mark of Galochio etched upon them.

"So... you are sure this is it, Miss Zanotto?" Sasha asked as he stared up at the doors.

"This is where Raz is. I'm sure of it," Lili said, her hands tightening into fists at her sides as she gazed at the doors. She didn't know how she knew... she just could sense it. It was faint, but she could feel him. Raz was there, and he was hurting.

Milla shivered, reaching up to rub her arms in an attempt to rid herself of the goosebumps. "Well... no use just standing around here looking," She said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Yeah..." Lili glanced over at the panel by the doors. She took a deep breath, then used telekinesis to push one of the buttons. With a whir, the doors slid open, the sight that they revealed nearly sending the brunette to her knees.

There, at the end of a long, metallic walkway, was Raz. He was strung up in the great metallic ring like some sort of animal, shaking uncontrollably. His reddish-brown hair hung limply before his closed eyes, matting across his sweat-soaked forehead. Every heaving, shuddering breath appeared to be some sort of great labor, as it sent his chest into spasms for every one he took. Then there was his face, weary with pain and exhaustion, twitching. The ring in which he was held gave the occasional crackle of energy, sending the hairs on the back of each of the spectators' necks on end.

The worst part however, was his psychic aura. It flickered, like a dying flame, dimming and then flaring back to life with every shuddering gasp Raz took. It was not so much this, however... it was the pain they could all feel coming from him, echos of an unspeakable agony that hurt so much they all wanted nothing more than to pull up a mental block to keep it out.

Milla reached up to cover her mouth. "Oh God..." She whispered, her other hand reaching out to squeeze Sasha's in a death grip.

Sasha's brow crinkled, a harsh intake of breath resounded from his tall frame. "Razputin..."

Lili stared up at her boyfriend, amber eyes wide with horror. No matter how much imagining of what could be happening to Raz, no matter how much rationalizing... nothing could have prepared her for this.

Nothing.

Milla's hand on her shoulder awoke her from her thoughts, pulling her back to reality. "Lili..."

At that simple word the spell seemed to be broken. The teen brushed Milla's hand away and ran as fast as she could across the metal walkway, the sound of her boots against steel echoing through the cavern. "RAZ!" She shrieked, finally coming to a stop before the great metal machine.

Raz gave no response.

".Raz!" Lili cried again, trying to get his attention.

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

"Raz!" Lili pleaded, desperation clear in her tone. "Speak to me! Come on, Raz, say something! Please!"

"Nnn... Lili?" Raz groaned out weakly, finally cracking open a jade green eye. "...Lili...'s that you?"

"Razputin!" Milla cried out, running down across the ramp, Sasha in tow. "Oh, thank God, you're alive," She whispered, relief evident in her voice. There were tears in her eyes.

Sasha's brow furrowed as he studied the teen. "Yes, indeed..." He murmured, already beginning to focus on the machinery, studying it, trying to work out a way to break the teen free. "We are fortunate we arrived when we did."

"Sasha... Milla?" Raz croaked as he glanced at the two of them. "What're you all doing here?"

Lili scowled. "What do you think we're doing here, you dork? We came to rescue you!" She said, hands going to her hips, trying to ignore the way her voice shook.

"Rescue me..." The teen trailed off, brow furrowing. "..No ...no, that's not right. You've gotta get out of here," He said, eyes narrowing. "Leave... you have to leave!"

"Nonsense. Just relax, I will have you out of there soon," Sasha said as he glanced over the computer console.

Raz shook his head. "No, Sasha, you don't get it! You gotta get out of here! All of you, get out of here, now!" He cried out, his voice growing stronger as he struggled against his bonds. "You're wasting your time, get out of here while you still can! You don't want to get trapped here too, do you!? AH!" The teen winced as the machine let out a spark. "Get out of here! Get out!"

"Sweetie, what are you talking about? You must be confused... don't worry, we'll have you out of there in minute," Milla said gently, her voice soothing.

Again the teen shook his head, mumbling to himself.

Lili scowled. "If this is about Nereus, don't worry. The moment I see him, he's gonna get his ass handed to him." She growled, shaking her fist.

"No, you don't get it, you idiots!" Raz snapped, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut. "I didn't want to be rescued!"

Silence, save for the whirring of various machines.

"...What?" Lili gasped out.

Sasha's brow furrowed. "...Razputin, what are you saying?"

"...I didn't want to be rescued," Raz mumbled, slumping forward in his blonds, hanging his head as his voice went quiet. "I didn't want you to find me. I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want... no... no, this isn't right. Don't you get it? You're playing right into his hands..."

Milla frowned. "What do you mean?"

Raz shivered, pain still coursing through his system even as he tried to speak. "In my dreams... in my dreams... you all die. Every one of you... you all die. Everybody. The campers, Ford, you two...Lili...you all died right before my eyes. Not only did you die... I was the one who did it. I was the one who killed you all... me, with my own hands." At this he let out a bitter laugh. "Don't you understand? I didn't want that to happen. After Ferrowbrooks I couldn't... I had to get away from you all, to save you all. And now you come to save me... you idiots! I didn't want this to happen! All of it, I didn't--"

He was cut off as a pale, manicured hand slapped him across the face, throwing his head to the side. Raz blinked in shock, turning to find himself face to face with blazing amber eyes.

"Shut up!" Lili snarled, pink psychic energy glowing around her as she levitated before him, appearing positively livid. "You idiot! You fucking idiot! Stop being so selfish! What you didn't want to happen, what you wanted, blah blah blah, it's all about you and your stupid heroism! What!? Did you really expect us to just forget about you!? Huh!? Did you!? Did you expect _me_ to forget you!? We're not like that, Raz! You may be content walk off and play the Goddamn martyr, but we're not okay with it! So what if we died in your dream!? SO WHAT!? It was a dream, Raz! Just a dream! You know what!? I don't care about your stupid dream, I care about _you_! So just shut up and let us save you for once!"

Raz stared at her for a moment, jade green eyes wide. Then he bit his lip, looking away from Lili. "...What if I don't deserve to be saved?"

Lili's face softened a bit. "It's not about what you deserve, you idiot," She murmured. "It's about love."

"...Love." Raz repeated quietly. "...Love... Lili, do you even realize who you're saying that to? I already told you. I'm not the boy you fell in love with. I'm no hero, I'm not a Psychonaut... Lili, Razputin Aquato... he may not even be real. I don't know if you were there to hear, but what Nereus has said is true. I'm a monster, Lili. Not a hero."

"Razputin, we already know," Sasha spoke up.

"That's right. And... well, we think there's a lot more you need to hear before you go calling yourself that," Milla stated, hands on her hips.

Lili nodded, giving a smile. "That's right, and even if you were a monster... none of us care about that."

Raz gaped at them, jade green eyes wide. "...What the...guys..." He trailed off, coughing weakly. "But..."

Whatever Razputin was about to say was cut off by a fifth voice. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" There, at the doorway, stood Nereus, sapphire eyes blazing dangerously, arms folded before him as he leaned against the steel frame.

Lili spun around, hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Nereus," She growled as Milla and Sasha spun around to face the blond as well. Raz, on the other hand, merely tensed, his face growing pale.

Nereus's eyes narrowed. "Evening, Miss Zanotto, Agent Nein, Agent Vodello. I'd say it's a pleasure, but I would be lying," He hissed, cocking his head to the side. "What, exactly, did you think you were doing? I figured government agents would be against something like stealing someone else's pet."

"Pet?" Lili repeated, her eyes narrowing as well. Milla placed a hand on her shoulder, though her lips were set in a grim line.

"Razputin is hardly your 'pet'," The Brazilian snapped. "He's a human being, and he doesn't deserve this!"

"Oh, on the contrary, Agent Vodello, I feel the term fits perfectly," Nereus drawled, drumming his fingers on his upper arm. "He is_ mine_, after all. I'm merely training him as a good master should."

"This is sick," Lili snarled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "Training him!? You're _killing_ him!"

"He would be fine if he would simply allow Vritra to take control," Nereus said nonchalantly. "I do not understand why you all choose to fight me, this transformation will benefit you all as well. I'm only trying to use Razputin as my weapon to create paradise, to eliminate those disgusting nonpsychics. Think of it... a world where you wouldn't have to hide your powers, a world where only psychics exist! A world where there is no persecution, a world where there are no more wars, only peace."

"In other words, you speak of a world that cannot exist, particularly with you at its helm," Sasha stated grimly, turning back to the computer controls. "If that is the case, I'm afraid we'll have to decline your offer and return to our rescue of Razputin."

"Hey! Get away from there, Nein!" Nereus snarled, waving his hand. The water surrounding the glass floor came to life, floating up into the air and then forming into a great, high pressured blast, which slammed into Sasha and sent him skidding across the floor.

"Sasha!" Raz cried, jerking in his bonds before turning to glare at Nereus. "Leave them alone!" He snarled.

Nereus scowled, water beginning to swirl around him like writhing snakes. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, Razputin. If these fools do not choose to accept my gift, then they are not fit for my world. I cannot have any of these filthy traitors destroying your progress."

Raz's eyes widened. "No! Don't you dare touch them!"

"He won't be touching us, Raz. I think it's about time somebody paid him back what's done to you," Lili hissed, sliding into her fighting stance just as Milla and Sasha did.

"No! Lili, don't!" Raz pleaded. "Please, guys, forget about me! Save yourselves, run!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Razputin," Sasha said calmly.

"Darling, we would never abandon you. Not now, not ever," Milla declared.

Nereus smirked. "Fools," He murmured, blue psychic energy crackling at his fingertips. "Then allow me to teach you of a power, different from Vritra, but nearly as great. My ancestors have used it for... a different purpose, but I have amplified this power far beyond what they ever managed. Allow me to show you the power of Indra."

"Bring it, pretty boy!" Lili snapped as pink psychic energy began to flare around her.

Nereus's smirk twisted into a terrible grin, his eyes glowing blue. "So be it, little girl." With that, he crossed his arms before him and murmured something under his breath. An explosion of blue energy suddenly shot through the entire cavern, moving across the entire area in a wave of blinding azure. All three psychics let out cries of pain, dropping to the ground and clutching at their heads.

"AH!" Milla cried out, clutching at her head, her eyes squeezed shut as she convulsed. She could hear a strange, high-pitched ringing in her ears, the sound seeming to pierce through her skull like a needle.

"Ach... what did you...?" Sasha choked out, his sunglasses having been knocked askew just enough to reveal one dilated gray eye.

"Oh, I just... removed your powers for a bit. Think of that as a sort of 'portable GPC wave'," Nereus explained, sapphire eyes glinting with pleasure as he watched his opponents twitch on the glass floor. "Small perk of hosting Indra in my system."

"You...bastard..." Lili grunted out, struggling to rise to her feet. She was having trouble however, seeing how the motion made the world spin before her. "I'll--"

"You'll what? You're as helpless as any regular non-psychic," Nereus sneered, walking calmly towards the three of them, his footsteps echoing through the room. "Now then... I think it's time you saw what happens to those who disobey the messiah." He hissed, sapphire eyes glowing for a moment.

Raz's eyes widened. "No! Leave them alone!" He yelled, jerking in his restraints.

Nereus glanced up at him, smile widening. "Ah, yes, Razputin. Do pay attention... perhaps this will teach you a lesson as well," He drawled, blue psychic energy sparking to life in his right hand as he held it up.

"NO! STOP!" Raz cried out, still struggling, veins bulging out from effort. "Don't touch them! They didn't do anything! Don't hurt them! Don't touch her! Don't-- _AHHHH_!" He screamed as the pain picked up in intensity once again, sparks flying from the metal ring.

"Oh? And what can you do to stop me?" Nereus asked, quirking a brow.

Raz hung there for a moment, panting and shaking his head. "Don't... don't... stop...please stop..." He pleaded, sounding weak and broken. "Don't you dare hurt her... you bastard..."

Nereus chuckled. "And there you are again... begging like a stupid child," He drawled, pulling back his fist, energy crackling in his palm as he aimed for Lili. "I think it's time you learned to grow up, Razputin."

Jade green eyes widened. "DON'T! DON'T TOUCH HER!" He cried out, struggling with renewed intensity. The machine in which he was held captive sparked once again, though this time it was apparently unplanned as Nereus's head shot up.

"What are you..." He trailed off, face becoming one of horror.

Jade green had transformed to a feral orange, sparks of gold flaring around his arms and legs, the metal clamps holding them steady smoking as technology tried desperately to hold out against splinters of raw power.

Sapphire eyes widened. "R-Razputin! Stop this at once!"

Raz's face was a mask of rage, his scarf flying out behind him like great wings. "Don't... you... dare!" He snarled out.

"Razputin! Stop, I am warning you!" Nereus cried out, backing away.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Razputin roared. With an explosion of sparks his constraints were forced open, raw energy blazing around him like fire as he levitated there, entire body aglow. Bits of the machine began to crack and splinter, slowly coming apart.

Nereus stumbled back, for a moment looking positively terrified. The energy flaring from Razputin was intense, sending the blond's scarf and trench coat flaring out behind him. However, this was only for a moment, and then his expression went from terrified to positively livid."Computer, emergency action!" He called out

The metal ring let out a loud whir, then let loose a burst of blue electricity between its two sides. Razputin, still floating in the ring, didn't have a chance to do anything before the blast connected with him. He let out a scream of agony as the volts of energy shot through him, the orange glow in his eyes vanishing almost instantly. After about a minute the machine finally cut off and Razputin collapsed to the floor, senseless with pain.

Lili's eyes widened. "Raz!" She cried out, making as if to get up and rush to the goggle-headed boys side. However, the moment she tried, the ringing in her head seemed to grow louder and more painful, sending her to her knees again.

"Well now... isn't this interesting. It looks as if you tapped into Vritra's power on your own..." Nereus murmured as he walked over to his fallen captive. "But it was for all the wrong reasons, now wasn't it, Razputin?" With that he knelt down and hauled Raz up by his scarf so they were nose to nose, his sapphire eyes blazing with anger. "You are going to regret this transgression, I promise you, Razputin. You will _sorely_ regret it."

Raz let out a weak groan, one jade green eye fluttering open to regard Nereus with a glazed eye. "...Let...them...go..." He rasped out.

Nereus's eyes widened, then narrowed. He gave Raz a rough shake. "What the hell are you babbling ab-- oh..." He glanced over his shoulder to see that Lili, Sasha, and Milla were all still there. The blond blinked for a moment, then forced a cool, terrible smile that was clearly fake.

"Well now, I've certainly been an ungracious host, now haven't it?" He asked with sickening sweetness. "I'm terribly sorry, but it seems something... unexpected, has come up. Guards!" He suddenly called out, his voice ringing through the room.

A few moments later two soldiers walked in, each appearing taken aback by the state of the room. "Ah... my Lord, what happened here?" One finally asked as they came to a stop at the center of the room.

"Nothing!" Nereus snapped, fist tightening around the green material of Raz's scarf. "Nothing happened here, unless you want your worthless head removed from your shoulders you spineless twit!"

The soldier swallowed, snapping to attention. "Ah, yes, of course, my Lord. What can we do for you?"

Nereus looked positively livid for a moment, then took a deep breath and forced himself to be calm again. "I'm afraid I do not have time to deal with these pathetic worms right now. Restrain and take them down to the dungeons with the others, would you?"

"The others?" Sasha repeated.

"Oh no! The children!" Milla gasped.

Nereus's smirked. "Ah yes, I take it you know of my other little trespassers, then? Good, I suppose things won't be too awkward while you all await proper judgment." He glanced back to the guards. "Well?"

The soldiers both saluted, then got to work. One quickly telekinetically took three sets of psitanium handcuffs from his belt, then gestured, allowing one to clamp down on each psychic's wrists. Then they both hauled the prisoners to their feet, ignoring their struggles.

"Get your hands off of me!" Milla snapped, emerald green eyes blazing. Sasha remained oddly silent, though even with his sunglasses one could tell he was glaring at Nereus.

Lili struggled against her captor, desperately trying to get loose. "Raz!" She cried out, amber eyes wide with horror.

"Lili..." Raz choked out weakly, his eyes fluttering closed as his head lolled to the side. Nereus cracked his fist across the teen's face, jolting him awake once more.

"Oh no, Razputin, you can't be going to sleep yet. No, I'll need you wide, wide awake for this." He sneered, tightening his grip on his captive.

"Raz!" Lili shrieked again as she, Milla, and Sasha were dragged out of the room. "Come on, fight him! Don't just give up like this! _RAZ_!"

The only response she received was Nereus' terrible laugh before the doors closed behind them.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_So geez, guys, I guess you didn't have enough reviews to save Raz this chapter! Actually, I'm kidding, this is kind of how I set up the plot, and you were all very nice last chapter (thank you for those of you who reviewed, by the way)...but some of you lurkers might want to review so he gets saved next chapter, ne?_

_...Please?_


	14. The Door Opens

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Fourteen: The Door Opens**

--

_And now we're up to the big chapter. This one is probably the most depressing one in the entire fic, I'm warning you now. Bad stuff happens. This fic is depressing. I'm sure if you've gotten this far you know that very well by now. This fic is so chock-full of angst that I'm truly amazed you've kept reading, and I think you for doing so._

_I'm going to warn you now, people are going to die in this fic. I cannot say who does or how, as I don't want to ruin anything... but people are going to die. Will it be the characters you love? I can't say. While I would love to say I'm the type of author who can't stand killing off characters, I'd be lying. On the other hand, I'm also the type who enjoys both happy and sad endings... so really, things can go either way. I think it would take away from the suspense to promise that someone will live or die in a fic. Sure, spoilers are nice... but at the same time, it takes away a bit of that 'edge-of-your-seat' effect, to know characters simply won't die, so you don't need to worry._

_So... on that note... well, suffice to say, you've been warned. There's not much else I can say... other than I apologize if this chapter sucks, and if it ends up being a serious downer... well, I'm sorry. I do promise things get better however, so I hope you'll keep reading!_

_Onward._

_Suggested listening music is _Cursum Perficio (Track 1), Memories (Track 10), _and _Angels _by _Within Temptation (Track 9) _for the final fight scene. Possibly _Rap is A Man's Spirit... Was... You Know (Track 12) _for the very end. Whoo._

--

_Thwock!_

The sound of fist hitting flesh echoed throughout the cavern, followed by a wet thud. After a few moments of silence a battered gloved hand came up to gingerly brush against a bruised face.

_'It's still there, but I wish it wasn't._' Raz thought as he let his hand drop, the appendage sticky with crimson liquid. _'Great, more blood...just what I need to lose.'_ He added grimly, letting out a heavy wheeze through a broken nose. His thoughts were scattered as another blow sent him skidding across the blood-stained glass, new star systems created behind his lidded eyes.

"Get up," Nereus commanded calmly, his footsteps ringing through the air as he came to stand before the teen once more. "Our lesson has not yet finished."

Raz let out a groan, cracking open one swollen green eye to gaze up at his captor. "Or what? You'll beat me worse?" He asked dryly, spitting out blood onto the ground. If only his powers were working... but no, whatever that shock had done, it had taken his powers with it, and considering the current state of his body, he was defenseless. There was nothing he could do but take it.

Nereus's eye twitched. Then, without a word, he drew back his leg and kicked Raz squarely in the stomach, sending the boy flying a few feet before landing with a heavy thud on the floor, leaving dark red smears in his wake.

The boy let out a choked cry of pain, hacking up more blood, then curling in on himself and clutching at his stomach. He was a mess, blood caking in his hair from wounds to his head, dribbling down his face in tiny crimson streams over bruises and a battered lip. His sweater was torn here and there, revealing slices across thin but muscular arms and legs, as well as gashes across his side that were deep enough to be painful, but not life-threatening. The worst were the weals across his back, however, criss-crossing across almost every inch, almost as if they had been made with a whip, an ugly checker pattern of gashes and reddish, torn skin. Bits of his sweater that weren't torn were soaked dark with blood, smears and droplets of the dark red liquid spread across the glass floor like some sort of twisted abstract painting.

Nereus stared coldly at him for a moment, then motioned with his hand. Raz rose up into the air and floated over to the blond, stopping when they were so close their noses were nearly touching. Sapphire eyes that blazed with cold fury met agonized, but defiant jade."How foolish can you be?" The blond hissed. "I am merely trying to teach you a lesson, and instead of learning all you do is give me more lip and make things worse for yourself!"

"Lesson?" Raz coughed out. Several of his ribs had been broken a long time ago, making breathing rather difficult. "Seems to me you just like seeing me in pain, you sadistic bastard. Haven't you had enough yet?"

The blond stared at him another moment, then, once again, merely gestured. Raz let out another cry as his body was bent at an unnatural angle, a loud CRUNCH coming from his spine. "Ah... AUGH!" The teenage Psychonaut choked out, his eyes squeezing shut and his teeth grinding together as he twitched.

"Sadistic? Perhaps. But I cannot help that you're beautiful when you're in pain, Razputin," Nereus murmured, a terrible smile twitching across his lips as he motioned once again.

Raz let out another cry as he was bent further back, another crack heard as he squirmed against Nereus's psychic hold. Why hadn't he just snapped in two yet!? Surely he should have by now, he may have been an acrobat but he sure he wasn't this flexible! He swore he could feel his spine slowly snapping bit by bit from under the strain, creaking and groaning as it was twisted into positions it simply was not meant to be forced into. "You... you sick-- GAH!"

"Sick?" Nereus repeated with a cold laugh. He then flicked his wrist, releasing Raz from his telekinetic grip and sending him slamming against the wall. Raz hit the metal with a loud thud, then slid to the floor with a groan. "Perhaps, but it's not as if you are much better, Razputin. Call me a sadistic bastard if you will, a beast, a monster, any name you wish to speak could fit you just as well and you know it," The blond sneered.

"Wh... what!?" Raz sputtered as he pushed himself to his elbows, his eyes widening.

Nereus smirked. "Ah... so here is where I've finally managed to get your attention. Haven't you noticed it yet, Razputin? Though I hate to be cliché, we're frighteningly similar, you and I."

Jade green eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am nothing like you," Raz hissed.

"Really now?" Nereus's smirk widened into a grin. "Are you so sure about that? Determination, stubbornness, a heavy streak of pride, leadership skills, intelligence, similar pasts... face it, Razputin, you and I are quite alike."

Raz snorted. "Yeah, except for one little detail... you're an insane, evil bastard, remember? I'm not," He grunted out through chapped, bleeding lips.

Nereus fell silent, sapphire eyes glinting dangerously. "Yes. I suppose there is one little detail where you fall flat," He drawled, one again levitating Raz into the air. Then, with a small twitch of his fingers Raz's arm was suddenly pulled back with telekinesis. "And that is why we are here."

There was a loud_ 'crack_' as the teen's arm was snapped, bone snapping and splintering in an instant.

Jade green eyes shot open, pupils dilating as Raz cried out, trying to bite back the bile rising in his throat as bone grated against muscle and tendon. His vision blurred and turned yellow, but he wasn't allowed the haven of unconscious.

"See, this is where you and I differ. I understand my place. You do not. And that is why we are having this little lesson, so you can understand where you belong, Razputin. And that is beneath me," Nereus hissed.

Raz was barely aware of Nereus's words, the pain becoming shockingly worse as his arm was twisted even more, to the point where it snapped out of its socket. He was beginning to hyperventilate, breath coming out in hollow sounds like wind being sucked through a tunnel.

"Will you stop fighting me, Razputin? Am I getting through to you?" Nereus asked, his voice sickeningly sweet even as he put more pressure on the teen's arm, jolting the boy back to reality with a weak cry. "If you could simply say yes, we won't have to continue. Will you not try to run away anymore, Razputin? Will you serve me? Be my weapon?"

Raz hung there for a moment, breathing heavily. Then he shook his head. "N-no... no," He mumbled, his voice hoarse from screaming. What was he saying no to? Who? Why? He couldn't remember anymore... he just knew he had to say it, or something terrible would happen. He was nearly over the edge by this point. The combined effect of everything inflicted upon him was simply too much. Razputin was delirious from exhaustion, pain, and blood loss, his eyes glazing over, blinking rapidly as he labored to keep breathing, to stay conscious, to keep fighting.

But what was he fighting? Who was he fighting? Why?

He wasn't sure anymore. He just knew the room was spinning and blurring and the pain still wasn't stopping...

Nereus stood there for a moment, blinking. Then he made a disgusted sound, waving his hand and allowing Raz to drop to the floor in a heap, the teen's arm snapping back into place.

It was there that Raz stayed, heavy, shuddering breaths rocking his thin frame as he lay there, face-down upon blood-stained glass. Fingers just barely twitched, green eyes hidden from behind eyelids that simply seemed far too heavy to keep open at this point. He couldn't have moved if he tried, he barely had the energy to breathe, his body was contained in one constant throb of agony. So tired, he just wanted to rest. No, he had to keep that up... just breathe, breathe...

"Well, Razputin? I will ask you but once more, give you one last chance to end the pain..." There was Nereus's voice, a whisper in his ear, tickling it and making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, chilling him to the bone. "Will you submit?"

Raz weakly turned his head and forced one glazed green eye open to stare into Nereus's face, which was deceptively kind, gentle, loving... why shouldn't he just give in? Why couldn't he...

No. There was that voice in the back of his mind, insistent, the voice of a young girl, strong and confident even when he felt anything but. No, Raz, don't do it.

He couldn't disappoint that voice.

However, he couldn't trust his own, so Raz just gave a weak shake of his head.

Sapphire eyes narrowed. "I see. Very well then, you leave me no other choice."

Raz remained where he was, panting for breath, eyes squeezed shut as his face remained pressed against the glass. Alright, he had said no, where was the pain? But no... there was none, aside from the consistent throb that already wracked his body. Before he could question this, Raz found himself hauled into the air almost gently, picked up by his front so he was face-to-face with Nereus once again. However, the blond looked different.

He no longer appeared angry, merely disappointed. If Raz hadn't known any better, he would have sworn that was sorrow darkening his captor's brow.

But Raz did know better.

"Well, Razputin... I'm afraid this is it," Nereus murmured, reaching out to caress Raz's face. The teen weakly jerked away, though it seemed more out of reflex at this point than anything. Sapphire eyes narrowed for a moment, then relaxed again. "Poor Razputin... I am truly sorry that it's come to this." With that, he began to walk towards the machine again.

Upon realizing where he was being taken Raz's eyes widened and he gave a weak struggle, shaking his head. "No... no!" He rasped out, though whether this was a plea or an act of defiance neither occupants of the room knew.

Nereus sighed. "Yes, Razputin, and that word is exactly why we have to do this. I am truly sorry, but you've forced my hand," He stated. With that, he levitated up to the ring, forcing out one of Raz's limp arms and locking it into the device.

The moment the metal clicked Raz gave a jerk, jade green eyes widening even more. "You...n-n--GAUGH!" His words were cut off as his now broken arm was locked into the machine as well, a loud crack resounding from it as splintered bone was forced back into place.

"Worry not, Razputin," Nereus tsked gently over Raz's hollow whimpers of pain. "That will heal once Vritra takes control. Not that it will matter by that point."

Raz shuddered, his breath coming out in weak gasps as he craned his neck up to gaze at his captor. "W-what are you--"

"You know, Razputin, when I first had this plan, I imagined you willingly at my side," Nereus cut him off, speaking in an almost conversational tone. "Foolishly optimistic, I know, but I had hoped you would learn... I hoped, and I hoped, but in the end it seems it wasn't enough. This world has tainted you far too well, leaving me with but one other option," He gazed down at Raz as he threaded pale fingers through blood and sweat-soaked spikes, sapphire eyes speaking volumes. Love, sorrow, pain, despair.

Complete and total insanity.

"I'm sorry, Razputin. I'm truly sorry. But I'm afraid you've left me with no options at this point." Nereus shook his head, then leaned forward and planted a kiss on Raz's forehead. "I love you. Perhaps someday you will understand that." With that, he moved back and lowered himself to the floor, turning his back on the teen.

Raz hung there in silence for a moment, baffled. Then he shook his head. "W-what do you mean? What are you going to do?" He asked.

Nereus paused, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as he gazed down at the floor. "Well now, Razputin. You're a Psychonaut, aren't you? You tell me. When you die in a person's mind, you're merely kicked out of that mind, correct?" Raz's brow furrowed in confusion, though he said nothing. "Yes, you're kicked out... but what happens if you die within your own mind?" Nereus continued quietly.

The goggle-headed teen blinked, then shook his head weakly. "I... I don't know. No one's ever done that before," He said quietly.

"Is that so?" Nereus turned to gaze at him, sapphire eyes glinting with malicious intent. "Well then, you'll be the first to find out." With that, he looked to the computer console and gestured with his hand.

The machine hummed and whirred as it came to life, sparks of energy crackling in the air. One by one the lights surrounding the ring began to light up, blinding circles of electric blue, each picking up in intensity as the next one came on. Raz hung in his bonds, watching with confused, simple fascination as the lights turned on, but the pain he had come to associate with them did not. Where was it? What was going on now?

There were six lights on each side of the ring, and then one, bigger than all the others, at the top. This one had remained dim throughout the past two days that the machine had been in use, though Raz hadn't exactly been in any condition to notice. However, now all six lights were slowly turning on one by one, the blue glow inching closer and closer towards the top. Eight lights, ten lights, twelve...

And then, at last, the thirteenth light flared to life.

The instant it did, an agony far more intense than any Raz had experienced tore through him as if he were being split in two.

**-Silken, reddish brown hair billowing back in smoke, catching fire as it flipped and danced in the wind, curling and whithering almost instantly.-**

Raz let out a piercing scream, jerking in his bonds, eyes widening. Another wave, another scream, pain as if every inch of him were being torn to shreds. What on earth... what was happening!?

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Nereus asked grimly, watching with an almost sad look on his face. "I'd imagine it would... I had truly hoped to not have to do this to you Razputin, but you've left me with no other choice. As you will not submit and allow Vritra to take control, I have no choice but to remove the one obstacle that is keeping me from my weapon. That obstacle, unfortunately, is you." Raz let out another piercing cry, which Nereus ignored.

**-Flames lapping at pale legs, licking and eating away at skin and clothes.-**

"You already know that you are not the true occupant of that body, Razputin. You do not exist. Your thoughts, your feelings, your personality, even your defiance now, it is all nothing more than a fabrication. Foolish though it may be, I... treasured this fabrication, and hoped that I could somehow salvage it. But no... I see now there is no other way. It hurts me to do this, you must understand, Razputin, but I have no other choice."

Raz let out another wail, thrashing against his metal bonds, eyes wide and desperate as he gnashed his teeth together. Reality and fantasy seemed to be blurring together into some sort of strange, terrible nightmare, a twisted mess of flames, a frigid cavern, swirling dark waters, nefarious sapphire blue eyes, and a girl he knew all too well.

**-Amber eyes pierced into jade, gazing, accusing. "You did this, Raz. You did this."-**

"You are going to die, Razputin," The blond said simply. "This machine is going to tear you apart, leaving nothing but a hollow shell. From that shell I will create my weapon, Vritra, and with it I will annihilate this world. From its ashes I will bring forth my kingdom, and thus I will bring forth salvation for all psychic kind." His voice grew quicker as he spoke, his face twitching in a terrible smile.

**-The flames were growing higher, but he felt as if he'd been plunged in ice water, the chilling, slimy hand gripping at him and tugging him deeper and deeper, crushing the air from his lungs, drowning him.-**

"The time is nearly here Razputin, don't you see!? I, the messiah, have come at last, and the rapture is nigh! Granted, it will be a great trial, but from this fire it will all be reborn! Isn't it wonderful, Razputin!? Isn't it!?" Nereus threw his head back and cackled, insanity dancing in his eyes.

His captive just let out another cry, in far too much pain to even grasp the fact that Nereus was speaking. Fire, water, a soft voice whispering in his ear, sneering soft promises of fate, mocking him, belittling him.

**-The fire licked and bit at her pale skin and she glared at him even though she should have been screaming in pain and oh God why can't he move? Is it all really his fault? Is it? What did he do?-**

Nereus's laughter tapered off and he let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Granted, it is truly a shame, that by the end of it you will no longer be by my side... but I suppose sacrifices have to be made," He murmured, glancing up to Raz's agonized face again. "I promise you, Razputin. Though you can no longer be at my side in my kingdom, your suffering will not be in vain." His smile returned, twisted and wholly, completely wrong.

"You are the sacrifice that must be made for this world. Though you are stained and dirty, worry not, I will make you pure as snow," Nereus murmured, still smiling, though once again with a hint of sadness. "Won't that be wonderful? You will be payment for the sins of this world, Razputin. Though it will be hard for both of us, I promise you, your legacy will go down in history. You will be known as a martyr. Your sacrifice will be celebrated throughout the entire world. Not a soul will hear your name and not understand what has been done for them. All for your memory, Razputin, it will be wonderful."

Raz's screams were going weaker along with his struggles, his breath coming out in short gasps, his body shuddering due to pain and exhaustion. The brief rush of adrenaline caused by new-found agony seemed to have tapered off ages ago, leaving him tired and light-headed. He wanted to scream, to fight for an escape, to make it all end somehow... but he simply didn't have the strength anymore.

**-And he saw her standing there, watching him, and she's telling him not to lie and he doesn't know what to say because he swears he isn't lying but oh God she's so beautiful even when she's burning...-**

The teen let out a shuddering gasp as pale fingers brushed against his cheek, sapphire eyes piercing into his as Nereus leaned close, silvery blond pressing against matted reddish brown. "I'm sorry Razputin. I know it hurts. But it's nearly over now, I promise. Soon enough the sacrifice will be complete and everything will be alright. You will be mine," Nereus murmured as he caressed Raz's face, crimson blood smearing on pale fingertips.

Raz shivered at such close contact, which only made Nereus smile. "You know how it goes, Razputin. I've told you many times. This is fate, and you cannot escape it, no matter how much you wish for it," He said, leaning in even closer, so close that he could feel the boy's shuddering breath on his face.

**-"Your fault." She whispered, her hair whipping in the wind as the fire consumed her as if she were some sort of dying shooting star, the water enveloping him in it's cold embrace, crushing him as he watches her and sobs because he's starting to think she's right. She's right, she's so very right, but he doesn't know what to do and the fire is just growing higher and higher and God how he just wants it gone.**

**She's beautiful even as she burns, and it hurts to watch but he can't stop and God how he wants it to stop because he's just so tired...**

**She's beautiful.-**

Nereus let out a soft laugh, pulling away as a pink tongue shot out to lick away some of the crimson on his fingertips. His smile widened in a grin. "Beautiful. But beauty is a fickle, tiny, fragile thing, it cannot last forever... it will grow to its most stunning form, and then it will whither away and die... a full circle." He sighed.

"_Cursum perficio_, Razputin. It's time to bring this to an end."

--

"Damnit!" Lili cursed, aiming a swift kick at the base of her cell door. The great steel door gave a hollow clang, but didn't get so much as a dent. The brunette made a sound of frustration, her hands clenching and unclenching into fists.

"Sweetie, please don't swear," Milla spoke up from where she was leaning against a wall, though it was a rather half-hearted scolding.

"Well, I can understand her frustration. This _is_ rather inconvenient," Sasha commented from the other wall. The three of them had been locked into a rather small, stainless steel cell, which was made painfully bright by the sterile white lights overhead. There was a single opening, that being a window in the door, which was about three inches high and ten wide with bars stretching across it. All four sides were extremely thick, which ordinarily would have been no trouble for a psychic. Unfortunately, it seemed these cells were designed especially with psychics in mind, meaning they acted in the same manner as a GPC would, rendering their powers useless.

"Inconvenient?" Lili repeated, amber eyes narrowing. She then let out a growl and kicked at the door once more. "You think!?"

"Anger management much, Zanotto!?" Bobby Ziltch's sneering voice came from somewhere outside the cell, likely in one a row or so down from theirs.

"Shut up, Bobby!" The brunette snapped, her voice ringing through the room.

"Bobby, don't antagonize the Lili human. I don't believe even these primitive earth containment devices could protect you.," Chloe admonished.

"Yes Chloe," Bobby mumbled, sounding strangely subdued.

"So... uh..." Elton trailed off, swallowing nervously. "That didn't go so well, huh?"

Oleander gave a low growl from another cell. "That bastard just got a lucky shot, that's all!" He snapped. "I could have taken them!"

"We had our asses handed to us, man," Chops pointed out. "By small children."

"We did not!" Oleander barked. "They just... oh, shut up, there were a lot of them!"

"Well... I reckon they were kind of being controlled by some kind of otherworldly force," JT said quietly.

"And there were many grown adults as well, Mister Fir," Maloof spoke up. "I assure you, had they been regular children, we would have been fine."

"Next time Mikhail sees man who hit tiny boss, he will be sorry," Mikhail muttered, the sound of knuckles cracking echoing through the cells.

There was a collective sigh throughout the various cells.

"It figures Raz would choose the gay, evil super-genius to get kidnapped by as opposed to the boring, regular type that carries his cat everywhere and cackles evilly once and awhile," Milka groaned.

"He's gay?" Chops repeated, sounding shocked. "Seriously?"

"Well, yeah, of course he is. What straight man would wear boots like that?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't know, I thought they were kinda snazzy..." Elton commented.

"Maybe, but those pants he's got are _waaaay_ too tight," Quentin drawled.

"Actually, the little miss does have a point, I reckon he might be a little queer." JT agreed.

"That reminds me of a story I heard about gay people once." Vernon suddenly spoke up, earning a collective groan. "It all started when--"

Lili let out a shriek of frustration, pounding her fist against the door. "Guys! We've been taken captive by a psychotic maniac who's holding my boyfriend hostage so he can take over the world! Now is not the time to be discussing which way our captor swings!"

Silence for a few moments. "Sorry, Lil," Elton finally said, sounding embarrassed.

"Yeah, sorry. We were just trying to lighten the mood a bit, that's all," Chops muttered.

The brunette let out a sigh, leaning her forehead against the doorframe. "It's fine," She muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But seriously, we all need to work out how to get out of here so we can rescue Raz..."

"Oh, what's the point!?" Crystal suddenly wailed. "There's no way out! Our powers are useless in here, and even if we get out there's no guarantee that things will end up any different! Raz is doomed! The world is doomed and it's all my fault! I'm so stupid!" She sobbed.

"Whoa... h-hey, Crystal, it's okay..." Clem said quietly, apparently trying to get her to calm down.

"Oh, come on now, darling. Don't talk like that! Shhh, relax, everything's going to be alright." Milla cooed gently, trying her best to comfort the distressed cheerleader from where she was.

"Settle down over there, soldier!" Oleander barked. "We may have lost the battle, but not the war, damnit! You have to suck it up and be prepared for anything, including death!"

There was a loud sob from Crystal's cell.

Lili let out a sigh. "Come on Crystal, pull it together. Now isn't the time to fall to pieces. I'm... sure with your help and everyone else's we can find a way to get out of here and rescue Raz," She said, trying to mask her irritation and sound encouraging.

There was a light sniffle. "Really?"

The brunette's eyes narrowed as she tapped her fingers on her folded arms. "Really or whatever. Just get over it."

Another sniffle as Crystal fell silent for a moment, then finally mumbled a small "''Kay."

"Lili?" Dogen's voice came from the cell next to theirs, so small and quiet Lili could barely hear it. "Are we really gonna be able to get out and rescue Raz?"

Lili bit her lip, amber eyes darkening. "I... I don't..." She trailed off, shaking her head. No, that wasn't the way to be thinking! If she started doubting herself, she'd never rescue Raz, and that was something she Would Not let happen. Not if she could help it. "We will. We have to," She stated, her hands clenching into fists once more.

But how?

After a few moments of silence Lili made another frustrated noise, kicking at the door. "Damnit!" She cursed.

"Kicking will do you no good, Miss Zanotto. These doors are enforced to handle psychic fists. Compared to that, any sort of physical blow is nothing." Sasha stated from his spot on the wall.

Lili scowled, her eyes narrowing as she turned to glare at the German Psychonaut. "Oh really? What do you suggest then!? I don't see you doing anything to help!" She snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm thinking," Sasha stated, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Something which I imagine you would benefit from, Miss Zanotto, as opposed to futilely smashing at a door that you know full won't budge."

The brunette stared at him for a moment, then flushed, glancing down at the floor. "Oh... right," She muttered quietly. "...Sorry, Sasha. I'm just... you know."

"It's alright sweetie," Milla said with a smile, patting her shoulder. "We understand that you're stressed. But you need to relax... we'll find a way out of this."

Lili sighed, flashing a small, grateful smile. "I hope so."

"Agent Vodello is right, Miss Zanotto," Sasha said, adjusting his glasses. "Now let's think. I am sure sooner or later we can work out a way to get out. Preferably sooner."

Lili let out a sigh, falling back against the wall. "Right. I just hope we can come up with some way to get these stupid cells op--" She was cut off as the cell door suddenly gave a mechanical whir, followed by several clicks.

Finally, with a light swish, the door opened.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Well," Sasha said, blinking. "That was... sooner."

"No kidding," Lili commented, her eyes wide.

"But... how?" Milla gasped, staring at the open doorway. "I don't think we actually... did anything..."

Lili frowned suspiciously for a moment. She glanced to the left, then to the right, then finally back at Sasha and Milla. Finally she poked her head out of the doorway, baffled. The other former campers were peeking out of their cells as well with expressions ranging from confused to amazed to positively thrilled.

"Whoa... how did this happen?" Chops wondered aloud.

"Who cares? We're free, losers!" Bobby sneered.

"Yaaaaaay! Freedom!" Clem and Crystal cheered, jumping up and down.

Oleander gave a suspicious growl. "I doubt things are that easy..." He muttered as he glanced around, trying his best to see even with one of his eyes nearly obscured by a black bruise.

Lili watched the excitement with a small frown, brow furrowing suspiciously. No guards either... this was way too convenient. "Okay, what the hell is going on here?" She muttered as Elton and Milka gave each other a "I'm-so-freaking-glad-we're-alive" kiss.

"You don't need to worry. I've had things set up so the guards will leave this area alone for awhile." A quiet voice said from behind her.

Lili jumped, then spun around to see Inoue standing there, her blonde head bowed, eyes cast to the sterile metal floor. Her pale hands were clasped behind her back and she shivered as she spoke, but she was making no move to stop the prisoners from leaving their cells.

"You?" Lili's eyes narrowed, hands clenching into fists. "You work for Nereus. You're the one who used mind control on all the kids. Don't tell me you're the one who let us all go. If this is a trap, I'll--"

"Ah!" At Lili's harsh voice Inoue let out a yelp of fear, bringing her arms up to cover her face out of panicked reflex. "I-I know! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just wanted to help! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" She whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sorry?" Gloved hands carefully eased Inoue's arms back to their sides, revealing Milla's kind face. "Darling, relax, it's alright. We won't hurt you," The Brazilian Psychonaut said gently.

Inoue shivered again, staring up at Milla with wide eyes. "...Y-you won't?" She stuttered, shocked.

"No, sweetie, of course not," Milla murmured, flashing her a warm smile. Sasha, Lili, and Oleander hung back, looking somewhat apprehensive but curious... they didn't appear as if they were going to attack her. For the most part they were just trying to let Milla do her thing. "Come now, relax." The blonde let out a shuddering breath, her shoulders slowly easing, her shaking easing up somewhat.

"Good. Now then darling, what is your name?" Milla asked.

"...Inoue," The blonde murmured quietly.

"Inoue, hm? What a beautiful name." Milla murmured, threading gloved fingers through tarnished golden hair, calming the small girl.

Sasha frowned, looming over the two. After a few moments of silence he finally adjusted his sunglasses and spoke. "Well then, Inoue, are you the one who has been controlling all of the children?"

Inoue gulped, face paling.

"It's alright, darling, you don't need to talk. Just nod or shake your head," Milla coaxed.

Inoue nodded.

"I see... and you've been helping Nereus against us, have you not?" Sasha asked, raising a brow at her.

The blonde shivered, her eyes going to the floor. "I-I'm sorry, sir. He's my big brother," She said quietly.

"Your brother?" Lili repeated, eyes widening slightly.

"Compelling..." Sasha murmured.

"Weird... who'd have thought this little pipsqueak would be related to that guy?" Oleander muttered.

"Y-yes. He's my big brother... and I love him," Inoue murmured. "That's why... that's why I was willing to do all this.. .because I love him, and I swore I would do anything for him." She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes as her face crumpled in despair. "But this... this isn't my big brother! My big brother would never... no, no, this isn't right! I can't just stand by and let him do this anymore! I won't!"

"Oh my... you were the one who set us all free, weren't you?" Milla asked, her thin eyebrows furrowing as she tried to understand what had happened.

Inoue nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I-I know my brother said not to... but... the way he is now, that's... that's not my big brother. My brother would never do anything like this...he's killing our new brother...and new brother is nice...I don't want him hurt anymore..."

"New brother?" Lili repeated, blinking. "You mean Raz!?"

The blonde nodded again. "I... I don't want him to die. I don't want my brother like this... I don't want to do the wrong thing anymore!" She cried. "But... but... no, no, I was taught to never... never... ooh!" She put her face in her hands and began to cry in earnest.

"Oh, sweetie..." Milla cooed, putting her arms around the blonde girl as she cried. "Shhh, shhh, it's alright... you don't have to do the wrong thing anymore. Everything's going to be fine now, okay?"

"But... but... big brother's going to be so, SO mad at me!" Inoue sobbed, throwing her head back as tears slipped down her cheeks. "A-and he'll yell at me and... and... daddy always said I was supposed to listen to him! I've never gone against orders before! Oh, what'll I do!? What am I... what am I... ooh!"

"Shhh... shhh, you don't need to cry anymore," Milla said gently, patting the girl on the back. "That's not going to happen, I won't let it. None of us will, okay?" Inoue let out another sob as she pressed herself into the older woman's arms.

"Sheesh..." Oleander muttered as he watched the girl sob, feeling a sharp pang in his chest. It reminded him a bit too much of his own memories of his father. "What the hell did that bastard do to make her like this?"

Lili shook her head. "I dunno... but I think she can help us, and right now we could use all the help we can get." With that she stepped forward, leaning on her knees so she could look Inoue in the eyes. "Come on, cheer up. Raz isn't going to die and Nereus isn't going to hurt you. Not if I... not if _we_ can help it," She said, offering a gentle smile.

Inoue pulled away, blinking up at the Brazilian woman with large, tear-filled eyes. "...But... big brother... what about--"

"It's quite possible that if things work out, perhaps we may find a way to save your... er... brother, as well, if this is truly not his ordinary state of mind," Sasha said, adjusting his sunglasses.

Lili winced at the idea of actually helping Nereus, but upon seeing Inoue's face she forced a smile. Ordinarily she didn't really care for kids, but for this one... she just couldn't bring herself to hurt this one anymore if she could help it. "Yeah... we're Psychonauts, after all. Fixing messed up minds is kind of our specialty," She said, putting her hands on her hips.

There was silence for a few moments. Then Inoue sniffled. "Really?"

"Really," Milla smiled, brushing away the tears in Inoue's eyes. "Now come on darling, no more crying. We've got some boys to save, hm?"

"We?" Inoue repeated.

"Indeed. We could most certainly use the help of someone who actually knows this base," Sasha said with a smile.

Oleander grinned, rubbing his chin. "A man on the inside, I like it!" He said, eyes flashing. Inoue flinched slightly at his scarred face, but after a moment she relaxed as she considered the offer.

Lili nodded. "Yeah... so what do you say, Inoue? Will you help us?"

Inoue blinked up at Sasha, Milla, and Lili, then glanced behind them at the rest of the former campers, whom were giving her mixed looks of confusion and sympathy. She reached up to swipe at her eyes, then nodded, a look of determination coming to her face. "I wanna help."

This was met by smiles and cheers of encouragement from everyone, which drew a small almost-smile from the blonde.

"Alright," Lili said, her expression becoming one of grim determination once the cheers had died down. "We don't have much time. Let's go save Raz."

--

"Man, this is so dull..." A guard muttered as he slumped back against a plain steel wall.

"Dull?" The guard standing on the other side of the double-doors repeated. "In case you didn't notice, the base was just attacked."

The first guard snorted. "Well, yeah, but I missed all that... and now there's nothing to do but play guard duty for the boss. How boring is that?"

"Well, yeah, but... well, hey, look at it this way! Just a bit more waiting, and then it's a free ride to paradise," The second guard said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... man, it seems pretty unreal, to think we're almost there... I just joined for the money, it's not like I had anything going for me back in the slums," The first guard muttered, scratching at his greasy hair. "But still... I can't believe we're almost there."

"Yeah, it's pretty crazy..." The second guard drawled. "I'm just-- whoa!" He jumped, eyes widening as he realized Inoue was standing right in front of both of them. "Whoa-whoa... uh... L-Lady Inoue!" He stuttered, snapping to attention. "I didn't see you there!"

"Me either!" The first exclaimed, straightening instantly. "Sheesh, nearly gave me a heart attack... you move like a ghost. N-not that that's a bad thing or anything, eh heh..."

Inoue just stared blankly up at him.

"Um... you want to go inside?"

The blonde nodded.

"Well, um... Lord Nereus says he doesn't want anyone inside there... but... uh... well... you're... well... alright." The first guard hastily punched a few buttons on the pad on the wall. The doors slid open with a _'woosh!'_. "Well uh... there you go, ma'am." Both guards bowed.

Thus, they didn't see when Milka and Chloe lost their invisibility and cracked them both over the head. The guards slumped to the ground, unconscious, as the rest of the campers lost their invisibility.

"Well, that was... certainly easier than last time," Chops commented.

"No kidding," JT said.

The group stood in silence for a moment, then Lili brushed past them all. "Well, come on then guys. Raz can't wait any longer." She snapped, grabbing Inoue as she did so. "Come on Inoue, you can show me how to get him loose." With that, the two ran through the door.

"Well, she's certainly in a hurry," Sasha said, blinking.

"What do you expect? She's in love," Milla murmured, smiling. With that, the group hurried after them into the main cavern of the base.

They all stumbled to a stop within seconds of entering, however, to keep from running over Inoue. She had stopped in her tracks and was staring ahead, her visible eye widened in horror.

Assembled across the central floor were at least a hundred of Nereus's soldiers. Children with glowing blue eyes, men and woman of varying shapes, sizes, and ages, some with the tell-tale glow, some without. And there, at the front of it all, stood their leader. Nereus's sapphire eyes glinted dangerously, his hands at his sides, scarf and the ends of his trenchcoat billowing around him by their own accord.

"Well now. I set this all up, expecting a second round... but to be betrayed by my own flesh and blood? This is a surprise," Nereus hissed.

"B-brother," Inoue stuttered. "I-I can explain!"

"Oh, no, it's alright, my dear sister. You needn't explain," Nereus said gently, his voice sickeningly sweet. "I think I understand perfectly clear what is going on here. It seems with all the attention I've been paying to Razputin I've neglected you, and now you've strayed from the correct path." He flexed his fingers, blue energy crackling at their tips. "My poor, poor little sister. Don't you worry, you will be dealt with soon enough."

Inoue backed away, shivering. "N-no..."

"You leave her alone!" Milla snapped, stepping out in front of the child, emerald eyes blazing with fury. "How dare you speak to your own sister like that!?"

"Why, Agent Vodello!" Nereus gasped mockingly. "First you stick your nose into my dear Razputin's ordeals, and now my family matters as well!? My oh my, we have quite a rude streak going on here!"

"Raz!" Lili shrieked, apparently ignoring the blond for the moment. Her boyfriend hung beyond the soldiers and Nereus, strung up in the machine, his entire body completely slack, his head hung low, his body not even giving the slightest twitch."Raz!" She called again, hoping for some sort of reaction, some sort of sign to show he was okay.

He didn't move.

"Raz!" She repeated, amber eyes wide.

Still nothing.

"Raz! Raz, come on!" She pleaded. "Say something! Anything! Crack one of your stupid jokes, give an angsty rant about how we shouldn't save you, something, anything! Hell, just please move! Please, Raz!"

No response. If Lili didn't know any better, she would swear he was dead.

"He can't hear you, Miss Zanotto," Nereus said coolly. "As far as he is concerned, you no longer exist."

"Shut up, you bastard," Lili snapped, blinking away tears. "I don't care what you say! He can hear me, I know he can! And we're getting him out of here, whether you like it or not! I'm not leaving until he's with me, end of story."

Nereus's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Well then, I suppose it's a good thing you'll be dying here, seeing as you'll at least be able to keep your promise about not leaving," He hissed.

"Brother!" Inoue yelped. "P-please! This is wrong! You must--"

"Hold your tongue, Inoue!" Nereus snarled, fixing his furious gaze on her. "Do not make things any worse for yourself! If you speak so much as another word, you will sorely regret it! You will have no right to call yourself a Galochio any longer, do you understand me!?"

Inoue fell silent, shivering. "B-but..."

"Now then." Nereus fixed his gaze back at the rest of the group. "Shall we?" He drawled, his eyes flashing blue.With that, he crossed his forearms before him, beginning to murmur under his breath.

However, nothing happened.

"What?" The blond gasped, eyes widening. He glanced around, for once showing a slight hint of panic. Finally his eyes fell upon the computer console and he let out a curse. "Of course! Vritra's power... it's only leaking out in small amounts, but it's canceling out the wave! Damn it all!"

"What's wrong, Nereus?" Lili sneered as she slid into a fighting stance. "Your stupid trick not working?"

Nereus scowled, turning to glare at her. "It is no matter! That is all Vritra cancels out. I can crush you all just as well with Indra's power," He hissed, levitating a few feet off of the ground, energy crackling around him.

"Bring it on, pretty boy!" Bobby sneered, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, we can take it!" Elton declared, apparently feeling slightly more confident than usual. His girlfriend gave a grim nod beside him, falling into her battle position.

"Pretty boy is very thin. Like twig. Snap easily, Mikhail thinks," Mikhail stated, his eyes narrowing.

Nereus chuckled, watching as the former campers and their consolers slipped into their fighting stances. "My, aren't you all confident? Fine then. Things are far more interesting that way." He flashed a terrible, twisted grin.

"Get them."

With that, the two groups charged. A hail of psi-blasts burst throughout the cavern, a multitude of neon streaks ricocheting throughout the room, clothing and objects erupting into flames, the water around them rising into the air as if it were alive. A full-scale, winner takes all psychic battle.

And there, standing alone in the center of it all, motionless, was Inoue. She watched her brother with wide eyes, frozen. Finally her knees gave way and she collapsed to the metal walkway, unnoticed in the chaos.

"What have I done?" She whispered.

The cavern shuddered as rocks were torn from the walls and telekinetically thrown, shouts of adrenaline-fueled rage and pain coming from just about everywhere. Elton let out a cry as he was thrown across the room, only to be cushioned by some rather creative aquakinesis by his girlfriend. He flashed her a weak smile, which she returned, and then the two were off again.

JT and Chops stood back to back, taking out soldier after soldier with their combined psi-blasts, each rarely, if ever, missing a shot. "Excellent as usual I see, hombre," JT commented.

Chops grinned even as sweat beaded across his brow. "Thanks, partner."

"Inoue! Inoue!" Milla called out as she narrowly dodged a psi-blast. "Darling, come on, you have to move!"

Inoue remained where she was.

"Inoue!" Lili called. "Come on! You're the one who hypnotized all the kids, right!? Call them off! You said you wanted to help, so help!" She cried, pulling up a shield to block a sudden burst of flames from one of Nereus's soldiers.

Inoue didn't move. She was completely frozen.

"Nice try, Miss Zanotto. Unfortunately for you, my little sister knows her place," Nereus sneered as he shot a blast of energy at Lili. Lili grit her teeth as she fought to keep her shield up, the magenta bubble wavering against the sheer power of the blond's attack. "Besides," The blond continued. "Even if she were going to consider helping, there's nothing she could do. My poor sister isn't psychic, the only thing she can do is lay the Galochio curse, which I can then use to control them. The only way to remove that would be to kill the one who laid the curse, in this case herself. And I'm sorry, dear, but that's not going to happen."

Lili grunted as she stumbled back, her shield flickering. She was almost out of power, and Nereus wasn't letting up!

Fortunately for her, Sasha came to her aid, firing a perfectly aimed psi-blast at Nereus. Nereus's attention snapped to Sasha, and with a quick gesture a wall of blue energy shot up to block the attack. This tiny splitting of attention was just enough for Lili to drop her shield and roll away unharmed.

She skidded to a stop, panting, absently noting the rust brown stains smeared across the glass floor. Her eyes narrows as she traced her fingers over the stains, reading the barest flashes of pain. "Raz..." She whispered, looking back to her boyfriend. "What has he done to you?"

Throughout the fight, Raz still had yet to move. Were it not for the faint traces of his aura flickering around him like dying embers, Lili would have sworn he was dead. She wasn't sure what scared her more; the fact that he looked like he was dead, or the fact that he wasn't, but wasn't moving either.

"Raz!" She called out, trying to get his attention. "Raz, come on! Say something!" The brunette was then forced to roll out of the way as another psi-blast was launched her way, driving a sharp psychic kick into the gut of the soldier whom had attacked her.

As her attention was forced away, she didn't see the small twitch Raz gave.

Raz had no idea what was going on. He had long ago lost the strength to scream, to even whimper. He was scarcely breathing, there was no way he had the energy to force his eyes open and register the chaos going on around him. Not that it would matter, as he couldn't have seen it anyway. Raz's world was one of utter agony, trapped in a nightmare of swirling flames that consumed everything he knew. He couldn't have known that his friends were all right there, fighting for him, risking their lives for him. As far as he knew, they were all dead and gone.

So when he faintly thought he could hear Lili calling out to him, it hardly mattered. As far as he was concerned, she was already dead, burnt to ash by his own two hands. So what was the point in fighting anymore?

"Hey, hey, hey!" Crystal attempted to cheer as she dodged a blow. "Um... um... uh, I can't think of a cheer!"

"Neither can I! Um, uh... here!" Clem cried, telekinetically tossing a boulder and knocking out the man who had been attacking the other cheerleader.

"Burn!" Bobby snarled, setting several soldiers at once aflame with pyrokinesis. "Yeah, that's right! Who's the camper with the lowest number of badges now!?" Chloe came dropping out of the sky, taking out each of the soldiers the bully had set on fire with a single blow.

Quentin levitated over his attackers, using aquakinesis to knock them off of their feet. "Whoo, right on!" The red-haired boy grinned.

Phoebe grinned as flames flared around her. "I didn't know you were that good with aquakinesis!"

"Er..." The teen flushed. "Well, I had to make sure I had something in case you had more 'issues', ya know?"

"Hey!" Phoebe huffed as the flames flared even higher. "I'm over that now!"

Quentin gave a nervous laugh. "I know, I know! Chillax... besides, it worked out in the end, didn't it?"

Phoebe just rolled her eyes.

"Well now, Agent Nein, you are indeed quite skilled." Nereus commented nonchalantly as he blocked another blast from the German Psychonaut, then with a wave of his hand sent forth a whip of water.

"As are you." Sasha grudgingly admitted as he dodged the lash of the whip, sending forth several more blasts. Nereus once again shielded against this with ease, then flipped backwards to avoid a blow to the head from Milla. Milla hit the floor for a moment, then floated back into the air, emerald eyes flashing.

Nereus chuckled at this. "The reports don't lie, you two make an excellent team. Unfortunately, I don't think even your skills are going to be enough," He drawled, gesturing. Again the water hovered around him, writhing in the air like snakes.

"Well, how about this then!?" Oleander snarled as he suddenly dropped from the sky, his spikey shield flaring to life.

Nereus leaped to the side once more, scowling as bits of blue flared up to deflect the sharp bursts of psychic energy. "Ah, Morceau Oleander. I see they haven't put you in an asylum quite yet. I'll have to be sure to better defend my knees," He sneered, sending a burst of water at the short man.

The coach deflected it as he came to stand beside Sasha and Milla, giving a growl. "You take that back!" He snarled, sending forth a multitude of psiblasts.

Shimmering blue flared up the deflect the blasts as Nereus cackled. "I don't believe I will. Besides, it's not as if it matters... soon enough I will have destroyed you all soon enough," He drawled as the water swirled around him once again.

"Go ahead and try!" Milla snapped.

A smirk. "Gladly."

The cavern shook once more, bits of rock and crystal raining down from the ceiling, parts of the walkway becoming dented and twisted, glass shattering. The water churned as if it were a living, breathing beast, threatening to consume the various soldiers and campers whom levitated and battled above it, a seemingly endless dance of blinding beams of light and psychic fists that were narrowly dodged. Smoke and electricity poured through the air as delicate machinery was shattered, but went ignored in the battle.

The battle raged on and on, and there at the center of it all, motionless, was Razputin. He let out the weakest of breaths, not even noticing as the cavern rocked and shook, giving no reaction even as a neon orange psi-blast whisked by mere inches from his face. He thought he could faintly hear people yelling... was that Sasha? Milla? Oleander? Lili?

Why would it matter if it was? It was probably all just another illusion... but what was reality, and what was the dream he was immersed with? He couldn't tell anymore. Everything hurt and he was just so very tired. He was a monster inside, the Psychonauts had abandoned him, his friends were gone, his family was gone, Lili was gone... what was left?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

Mikhail's eyes were narrowed in concentration as he telekinetically went through enemy after enemy, only vaguely registering snaps and cracks of joints and spines as he picked them up, twisted them, then tossed them away like broken dolls into the churning waters. Maloof stood at his side, using psi-blasts to take out any his bodyguard happened to miss, sweat slicking his brown hair to his forehead, his breath coming out short.

Vernon, on the other hand, wasn't doing so well. He let out a cry of pain as he was thrown back, then slammed to the ground, where he remained, unconscious. Fortunately, before he could be hurt any more Dogen was again at his side, taking out the nasally teen's attackers with a bit of difficulty. "Lili!" He called out. "There's too many of them! We can't keep this up forever!"

Lili spun around as she knocked out yet another soldier to see Dogen, then gave a curt nod. The shy boy was right, they were running out of time. They had to grab Raz and get out of there. She shot a glance at Nereus, eyes narrowing.

The megalomaniac was currently occupied with Sasha, Milla, and Oleander. Annoyance was etched across his face as he dodged all of their attacks at once, then sent forth a wave of power that they all only just barely avoided. Oleander was admittedly a bit out of shape after years of spending time only as a camp counselor, and even as senior international agents, Sasha and Milla were having trouble. On the other hand, Nereus, while powerful, seemed to be finding that with all the chaos going on eliminating the three wasn't quite as easy as he'd thought it would be. His attention was focused on them for the moment, at least.

Lili would have to make a break for it and hope for the best. She grit her teeth, shot a final glance at Nereus, then fixed her gaze on the control console and broke into a run.

Nereus dodged another one of Sasha's psi-blasts, letting out a growl. "Oh, come now! This was amusing at first, but I'm getting annoyed!" He hissed, energy crackling at his fingertips, all hints of playfulness gone from his face.

"You're the one who made the mistake of not taking international secret agents seriously, darling." Milla said as she levitated a few feet off of the ground, a large burn covering her left shoulder. Sasha sported several wounds of his own, a large tear revealing a shallow, but rather nasty gash in his side. Oleander was panting beside them, covered in bruises and bleeding from a head wound.

"Yes, a foolish mistake on my part. But worry not, I won't be making it twice." Nereus hissed. "Now then, let us..." He trailed off, eyes narrowing. He then spun around to see Lili making a break for the control console for the machine holding Razputin. "You! Stop!"

Lili's eyes widened, a sinking feeling coming to her stomach as she realized she was caught. "Shit," She breathed, but continued to run. Just a few more yards!

"Oh no you don't!" Nereus snarled. "You've gotten on my nerves one too many times, foolish girl! DIE!" With that, he thrust his palms forward, releasing the power he had gathering within them. A great pillar of blinding white energy shot forward, aimed straight for Lili's heart.

Upon hearing this, Inoue's eyes shot open. No, no, she couldn't just sit here! She had to stop this! The blonde let out a shout and jumped to her feet, rushing across the glass floor. "Brother!" She cried out. "Brother, no!"

Oleander, Sasha and Milla spun to see the pillar of energy go streaking past, expressions of horror flitting across their faces.

"LILI!" Milla shrieked.

"NO!" Oleander screamed.

"Miss Zanotto, MOVE!" Sasha cried out, though of course logic told him that there was simply no way his warning would have any effect. Neither he, Oleander or Milla could possibly get there fast enough to get Lili out of the way, and Lili just wasn't moving fast enough.

She was going to die.

Lili only just barely heard Nereus shout, heard the sound of energy crackling through the air. The brunette then squeezed her eyes shut and dove forward, desperately swinging out her psychic fist in hopes of connecting with the control system, praying it would somehow work. "RAZ!" She screamed.

Time seemed to slow down. Nereus's attack cut through the air, almost as if it were moving in slow motion, burning away molecules as it passed, an expression of rage twisted across his face. Lili fell, desperately reaching for the controls, hoping, praying. The battle raged around them, the cavern shuddering as if it were dying, rocks and boulders raining down from the sky, smoke and steam mixing together, clouding the air, electricity sparking and crackling.

And there, at the center of it all, hung Raz, his body shaking as he fought to breathe, jade green eyes fluttering half open, a sheen of sticky blood and sweat covering his pale, beaten frame. All he could see at this point was a shapeless blur, and even if he could see... what would he see? Would he see her burning again? He was so sick of that. God how he hurt, and he was just so sick of hurting at this point... so very tired of it all. Tired of hurting, of fighting, tired of the nightmares and the lies and just... everything.

There was nothing left. And he just... didn't have the strength to keep going.

Raz took a final, shuddering breath, his entire body heaving with the motion. Had anyone been watching, they would have seen the way his aura flickered, like the death throes of a dying candle. He could have sworn he faintly heard Lili calling for him... but no, she couldn't be, because she had died... hadn't she? Yes, yes, she was dead, they were all dead, and he was just so very tired...

"...I'm sorry Lili," He breathed out, his eyes falling shut once more as he slumped forward.

The light flickered out.

Time sped up again. There was a confused shuffle, then a light thud as two small hands shoved Lili forward.

And then the blast finally connected.

A great explosion rocketed throughout the cavern, shaking the entire area, a great white ball of flame with the occasional spark of blue. The stone walls shuddered as they collapsed, rocks and boulders falling from the sky. Holographic computer screens vanished instantly, consoles gave loud warning beeps before they were smashed inward, sparks flying through the air. Glass shattered and there were screams as the central floor buckled and collapsed, sending the fighting soldiers and Psychonauts spiraling into the water below. Black smoke filled the air, obscuring all sight and leaving nothing but confused shouts and shrieks.

Finally, the waters settled, and there was silence.

This silence lasted about half a minute, however, before it was shattered by a loud, piercing scream. The smoke billowed away to reveal Razputin floating in mid air, clutching at his head and screaming. It wasn't the same as his previous screams, however. This was a primal, lifeless cry, like an animal's dying shrieks.

Nereus blinked, then stood to his feet, watching Raz writhe in midair with wide eyes. "He's..."

"Razputin?" Sasha's brow furrowed from where he knelt in the water, which was now only about two feet deep due to so much of it evaporating.

Milla watched in shock, her emerald eyes wide. "Razputin..."

Oleander gaped up at the screaming boy, at loss for words.

"Raz..." Lili whispered from her place on a half-sunken sheet of glass. She then turned to Sasha. "Sasha! Sasha, what's going on!? What's happening to him!?"

Sasha shook his head, his face one of numb horror.

Raz let out another shriek, curling in on himself until he was in a ball. He remained like this for a few moments, his entire body shuddering, his fingers gripping so tightly that he was drawing blood. Fire erupted from his lithe form, curling around him almost protectively, shredding apart his sweater and jacket, hiding him away from the world as he cried.

And then finally, with a keening wail, Raz was silent.

"...Razputin?" Nereus asked, his voice oddly quiet. "...Are you..."

Raz uncurled from his ball, arms and legs stretching out. He flexed his fingers, letting out a weak, shaky breath. The flames slowly began to ebb away, flickering away to reveal him floating there. Then he threw back his head and let out a loud, feral roar. The few flames that were remaining flickered at his back for a moment, forming great, fiery wings like that of a phoenix or a dragon. After a few seconds these vanished and he hung there, silent.

All was quiet for a moment. Then, Nereus started laughing. He was giggling at first, then that giggling tapered off into a loud cackling, which transformed as he threw his head back and let out psychotic, completely ecstatic laughter. "At last! I have done it!" He exclaimed between peals of maniac laughter, throwing his arms out. "Behold! My weapon is complete! I present to you...Vritra!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the air.

"...Raz," Lili murmured, amber eyes wide. "Raz... no... no... what's..." She sunk to her knees, staring up at what her boyfriend had become.

"...The power... my God... it's pronominal," Sasha whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I had no idea Razputin was... I had no idea..."

Even from where he was floating, the power radiating from Raz was insane. It was pure, raw, undiluted power, so great all the psychics there could barely stand to look at it in its brilliance. It was power, great and terrible.

This wasn't Razputin. This was a monster.

"Inoue!" Milla's voice suddenly cut through the silence, drawing everyone's attention to her. The Brazilian got to her feet and stumbled through the ruins of the cavern, finally falling to her feet in a circle of crimson water.

There lay Inoue, her white dress wet and stained with blood. Her blonde hair framed her pale face, which was covered in burns. A great, deep, clearly fatal gash was spread across her back, smoke still coming from the wound. The flash surrounding it had been charred black, like a smoking crater.

"Inoue!" Milla repeated, pulling the ten-year old into her lap, not caring that the little girl's blood was staining her dress. "Inoue! Come on now darling, open your eyes!"

The blonde let out a weak moan, then cracked open one dulling sapphire eye to gaze up at Milla. "Mn... I... I did i,." She whispered, shuddering. "I... I helped... I did it..."

"Ah... so there's my explanation for how the Zanotto girl is still living," Nereus commented nonchalantly, as one would comment on the weather. "My foolish sister jumped in the way. That would also explain why half of my soldiers seem to be unconscious, her spell is fading because she is dying. It figures," He shook his head. "My poor, stupid little sister... she had such promise... but in the end, she threw it all away. Foolish girl... such foolhardiness is not worthy of the Galochio name."

"Shut up!" Milla snarled, tears in her emerald eyes. "Don't you dare speak of your sister that way! She's far greater than you'll ever be!"

Nereus stared down at the girl in Milla's arms for a moment, disgust written across his face. "She is no sister of mine," He hissed.

"M-miss..." Inoue coughed out weakly, drawing Milla's attention back to her. "M-miss... please--"

"Shhh, shh! Don't try to talk, darling," Milla said gently, trying desperately to stem the bloodflow. "You're going to be fine, don't worry." However, even as she spoke, she knew it was useless, that it was a lie.

This little girl was going to die.

Inoue shook her head, reaching up to close a small, shaking hand over Milla's gloved one. "N-no... it's okay... I know... it's alright," She whispered, then gave another wet cough Scarlet splattered from her pale lips and down her front, staining Milla's white gloves. "I... I don't mind. I-it's the first real choice I've ever done on my own... and I'm happy."

"Inoue..."

"I'm happy... because... I finally figured out. You guys can help my brother... right?" She asked. "T-that's why I... saved the girl... she said she would help my brother."

"Oh, darling..." Milla bit her lip, holding Inoue close. "Don't worry... don't worry, we'll save your brother, I promise."

Inoue let out a weak, shuddering breath. "G-good. Good. As long as... as long as you save him... it'll be okay. It'll be okay... because I know the answer to the question now."

"The question?" Milla repeated, brow furrowing.

"Y-yes," Inoue whispered haltingly. "When I... talked to... Razputin, is that his name? Yes, Razputin... he asked me who I was... and said I needed to ask myself... and now I finally know the answer," She let out a small, happy laugh, the first time she had probably ever done so even as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I know... who I am. And I'm so... so happy," She whispered as her grip on Milla weakened, the light in her eyes flickering. "I'm... I'm Inoue. I'm a person, I'm not a tool... I'm me."

"Shhh... it's alright darling... it's alright..." Milla whispered, holding the girl close even as she wept, her shoulders shaking.

"Yeah... I'm tired and cold... but I'm... happy I could finally help," Inoue let out a soft sigh, returning what was likely to be one of the only hugs she had ever had. "I just hope... big brother will be okay. I... I still... love him."

Inoue Galochio died with a smile on her lips.

Milla bit her lip, letting out a choked sob as she held the dead little girl close. Another child dead... another one gone. And even though she had barely known this little girl, it seemed to hit so close to home anyway. The death of a child always did, both from memories of the dying screams of many in a fire so long ago, and from the pain of those she knew now. It wasn't fair.

"Agent Vodello...Milla," Sasha said quietly, placing his hand on her shoulder as he stood knee-deep in the water, feeling his heart sink. Milla shook her head, laying down Inoue, then turning and throwing her arms around Sasha.

All was silent, respect for a dead little girl hanging in the air. Or at least it was until Nereus started laughing again.

"My poor, poor foolish sister... she went the wrong way in the end, but that is alright. I don't need her anymore anyway," The blond cackled. "The children, my soldiers... I still have plenty of an army anyway! It is no matter, anyway! What use are soldiers now!? I need no one!"

"You truly are sickening," Sasha muttered."That child cared for you... and all you can do is laugh?" Milla shivered at his side, fighting for some sort of composure.

"You bastard," Oleander growled, hands clenching into fists. "How could you do this!?"

Nereus giggled. "She was a tool, nothing more, nothing less. What should it matter if she dies? I have no need for her anymore. No... I have Vritra now, and that is all I need." He looked back to Raz once more, sapphire eyes gleaming with complete, utter insanity as he threw back his head and laughed yet again.

Raz made no noise as he floated there, the remains of his sweater and jacket hanging off of him, his torn and tattered scarf floating around him by its own accord. The former campers were all just coming to, their eyes widening as they beheld their former peer.

"Is that... Raz?" Chops gasped.

"No way..." Bobby murmured.

"Well then... it's been fun, Psychonauts, but I'm afraid our time here has run out," Nereus stated, giving a small, mock bow. "I do congratulate you on shattering this base... I have several more, however, so worry not, I will be fine. Besides, I have my weapon... I have no need to be secretive any longer." He chuckled.

"It is finally time for the rapture to begin."

"What... what do you mean by that?" Elton croaked out, clutching at his head from where he had been hit earlier.

Nereus's grin widened. "Oh, you will know soon enough, my dear child. Now then..." He glanced up at Raz, smirking. "Go on then, my dear weapon. Give them a taste of your power."

At Nereus's words, Raz's eyes shot open, revealing soulless orbs of black. Orange energy began to crackle around him, though he didn't even move. He then reached out his right hand, holding it before him as he gazed down at his former friends. He saw the campers gaping at him with expressions of confusion and horror, Oleander's eyes wide with shock. Sasha's mouth hung open, Milla staring at him with red eyes and shaking her head, pleading silently as tears streamed down her face. Please, no more deaths...please.

Finally, his gaze settled on Lili, whom had remained silent all this time. She shook her head, amber eyes wide.

"Raz... Raz, don't--"

Raz flicked his wrist, and an explosion of energy rocketed through the area. Lili saw a flash of orange, and then all she knew was black.

--

**To Be Continued...**


	15. A Waking Nightmare

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Fifteen: A Waking Nightmare**

**--**

_You know what's hilarious about this chapter? When I first wrote it, I felt bad for making my readers wait two weeks._

_Ahahaha... yeah, and now there's a good three months or... you know, a year between chapters. Yeah, I fail. On the bright side, time has made me like this chapter a lot more. Drama is fun and such. So... um, yay? Hopefully it won't come off as too cheesy or anything, and the fight scene will be alright._

_Anyway, I don't have much else to say, so... on with the chapter?_

_Oh, I added a scene here to show that the Psychonauts are in fact doing something. Once again I included _**PsychoDirector**'s _epic character _**Derek Westfield**_, sooo let it be known that he isn't mine and was used with her permission._

_Suggested listening music is _Memories (Track 10), For the Reunion (Track 5), A Song of Storm and Fire (Track 11)_ or _Opening Demo (Track 23)_ for the fight annnd finally _Rap is A Man's Spirit... Was... You Know.. (Track 12)_ for the end._

--

Lili awoke to find sunlight streaming into her eyes, practically blinding her. The brunette let out a groan and closed them again, trying to ignore the throbbing pain that ached throughout her body. She rolled over in her bed, desperately trying to fall back asleep.

Wait... her bed?

With a flourish of bedsheets Lili sat up, amber eyes wide. She was back in her room in the counselors lodge!? How had this happened!? No, no, this couldn't be right, not after everything that had just... how was she laying here in her comfortable bed, with midsummer sunlight peering in through her windows? The last thing she remembered was Raz...

"...Raz..." She whispered, feeling a sickening jolt in her stomach. Waking up here, she wanted desperately to believe everything over the past few days had all just been a dream, and she and Raz were still just counselors for the summer at Whispering Rock... but the stabbing feeling in her chest told her otherwise. Though her current surroundings may have been peaceful, they didn't change what she knew had happened.

But how was she here?

The brunette pushed back the covers and got out of bed, stepping onto shaky legs and trying to ignore the way her entire body protested against the movement. She had plenty of scrapes and bruises, all of which had apparently been bandaged. That didn't seem to do much to help the pounding ache that throbbed from her head to her toes, however. She could faintly hear people talking just outside, though her door muffled what exactly they were saying. She could definitely hear Coach Oleander yelling, though...

Lili made her way across the room and pushed open the door, peeking out into the lodge, brow furrowing as she listened in.

"I don't believe this!" Oleander exclaimed as he paced around the room, a bandage wrapped around his head. "Twenty cities hit in the past three days, no survivors... this is outrageous! He's not even bothering to be secretive or selective about it, he just goes wherever there's people and blows them away!"

"Nereus has his weapon now. He has no reason to remain secretive anymore," Sasha said grimly from where he leaned against the counter, still stiff from his wounds. He was lighting was most definitely not his first cigarette that day and not even bothering to hide it. His focus remained on the small TV set someone had dragged into the lounge and placed upon the table, the device fuzzily playing the news.

Milla bit her lip from her spot at the table, a mug of steaming hot tea held in her bandaged hands. "This is terrible..." She murmured.

"You're tellin' me," Ford muttered from his own spot at the table, taking a bite out of a donut. The other two occupants of the room had no response to that. All was silent save for the dull murmur coming from the TV. A grim, defeated sort of air seemed to hang over the place, like some sort of heavy rain cloud.

Lili had been about to announce her presence, when her focus finally fell upon the TV. It was flashing various pictures of completely destroyed landscapes, the words _"Horrifying Attacks Continue"_ printed across the screen. Buildings were crumbled to ruins, cars smashed to bits, flames still flickering here and there. Street lamp poles were twisted like pretzels, roads lay buckled, glass and rubble littered the ground. And even with all the destruction... it was all so eerily still. Not a single sign of life... just eerie silence. The aftermath of chaos.

And then came the video. It was a single clip, the camera work shaky, though that was to be expected from the way a building had just been blown away on screen. There were several soldiers glancing this way and that, panic and fear written across their faces as they clutched at the heavy guns held in their hands, sweat sliding down their foreheads. One suddenly gave a shout and began to fire wildly, a hail of bullets ringing through the air... and then quite suddenly, with a burst of orange energy, they were all gone. They didn't even have a chance to cry out. The camera swiveled towards the source of the attack, the picture shaking so much it was hard to tell what exactly was going on. But even with the shaking, the face was clear enough.

There floated Raz, orange energy dancing around him like flames. His regular clothes had been replaced with an elaborate black trench coat with silver designs sewn into it, the ends of it billowing behind him like a cape. His face was expressionless as he gazed into the camera, black eyes lacking of any sort of emotion.

The video paused here, focused on the teen's face as the reporter continued to talk. To Lili, however, it floated over her like so much white noise. Whatever the report said, it hardly mattered at this moment.

"Is that..." She trailed off, amber eyes wide, hands clenching into fists at her sides.

It was Raz. But at the same time, it wasn't him at all. It couldn't be him.

Upon hearing this Milla's head shriveled around to look at the girl, her slightly messy brown hair a strange sight to see. "Lili?" She blinked, then flashed a tired, slightly sad smile. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake!"

"Hm?" Sasha glanced up from the TV. "Ah, Miss Zanotto. Good morning."

"About time you woke up, soldier!" Morry declared loudly.

Hearing their greetings, Lili shook her head, snapping out of it. "'About time'?" She repeated, brow furrowing. "How long have I been out? And how did we get here, at that? Last I checked we were still at...you know, Nereus' base..."

"Ah, well... actually, that was Ford's doing." Sasha said.

The older man nodded. "Well, I was only doing the my job. You guys didn't come back for awhile and I wasn't gettin' any sort of response, so I got the jet set up and came to see if you needed backup. I found a great big crater in the ground and you guys, not to mention all the kids and a whole bunch of guys in some really ugly uniforms. None of you were dead, obviously, although you all sure looked like it," His eyes had a faraway sort of look about them, thinking back to a memory that was still all too fresh in his mind. "...So anyway, we got you all in the jet and brought you back here. It's been three days and no one's woken up yet, except for Sasha, Milla, Oleander and now you."

Lili frowned. "So... are all the campers alright? You know, Dogen and Elton and everyone else?"

Morry nodded again. "Yeah, they're alive... unconscious, but alive. Don't worry, we found 'em places to stay, and all the little maggots are in their beds, exactly where they should be. I don't know when they'll wake up, though."

"Well, as long as they're alive, that's good enough for me," Milla said. "If any of them had been... oh, I don't know what I'd do. After Inoue..." She trailed off, letting out a shaky breath and biting her lip.

"Do not worry yourself over it," Sasha said gently, hesitating for only a moment before putting his hand on her shoulder. "The children are fine. Relax, Milla... I'm sure she's happy."

Milla let out a shaky breath, but nodded. "Right. Right... she probably is. I shouldn't worry about it. No use fretting over what might have been, after all. And we are all... well, we managed to get all the children back, at least." She forced a small smile at this, trying to her best to regain some semblance of her usual cheer.

Sasha nodded, apparently taking this as a good sign. He moved away from his partner again, taking another drag from his cigarette as he did so without a word.

"Alright then, that explains how we got here and everything... but what about Raz?" Lili asked, her grip tightening on her bare arms, her skin turning a harsh white beneath her painful grip.

Milla and Oleander winced, while Sasha tensed slightly. "Ah, darling--" Milla began, but she was cut off.

"Don't lie to me to make me feel better. I already... you know, saw. But I want to hear the full story... I need to know what's going on." Lili stated.

She didn't want to hear about him... she really didn't. It hurt to think about. But she needed to know.

There was silence for a few moments before Sasha sighed, flicking the ashes from his cigarette into an ash tray. "Alright. The world has been under attack for the past three days. Nereus has not even bothered being secretive about it. He has essentially launched a full-scale war, and he is winning... quite easily. Entire cities have been decimated. There have been no survivors. Any troops sent to stop him have not been heard from again."

"But what about the agency? I mean, haven't they done anything?" Lili asked, brow furrowing.

"Oh, they've tried!" Ford snorted. "Trust me, we started sending agents from the very beginning. Your dad has lost every single man he's sent out there. Not that we've been able to send much resistance... I'll say one thing about that kid, he's fast and he's good. By the time we've worked out what area is under the attack, there's no time to actually send anything... anyone who shows up there is usually too late. And the ones that get there on time... well, we've already told you about that."

"The entire world is in a panic," Milla spoke up. "People running through the streets crying, screaming that the world is ending. Stores broken into, things stolen... deaths that don't even have anything to do with Nereus." She shook her head. "It's just... it's horrible."

Lili winced as she saw Milla's pained, sorrowful expression, feeling a twinge of sympathy. If things were really as bad as she said, this all must have really been taking a toll on someone as emotional as her. And then of course there was Oleander, who had yet to really be able to do anything... this must have been driving him crazy. Ford couldn't even leave the camp to help. Then there was Sasha, whose typical, emotionless mask seemed to be splintering. And oh, of course, there was her own mind, her own reflections, her own pain that ate at her as time crawled by and they seemed no closer to making anything better.

They had to find a way to bring back Raz and end this, somehow. It was breaking everything apart.

"Well... why haven't we done anything yet?" Lili asked.

"What?" Morry blinked.

"You heard me. Why haven't we done anything yet? Why haven't we gone and saved Raz yet?" Lili demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Sasha quirked a brow at her. "Well, being unconscious for three days may have had something to do with it."

"So what? We're here now! Someone has to do something," The brunette stated. "We have to get out there and help Raz!"

"He doesn't recognize us," Milla said quietly.

Lili paused, brow furrowing. "What?"

"Razputin. He doesn't recognize any of our agents. You'd think he would... but he doesn't. They've tried to contact with him, snap him out of it... he's not responding to anything. It's just like Nereus said. The agency has absolutely given up on him. In their eyes, he's a killing machine, nothing more." Ford stated.

"Then how are we all still alive?" Lili wondered aloud.

Morry frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lili shook her head. "I mean what I said. How are we still alive? I highly doubt Nereus wanted us to survive that blast...he wanted us to die there. So how are we still here? It's not like he's having any trouble getting rid of anyone else... so why aren't we dead?"

A look of hope began to dawn on Milla's face. "Because Razputin was holding back. Meaning..."

"Meaning that it is possible that Razputin is not yet as far gone as Nereus believes," Sasha stated.

"Huh... I never thought of it that way," The coach said.

Ford snorted. "I guess that's what you all get for letting the news rattle your brains." He said, taking another bite of his donut.

Lili nodded. "That's right. I think Raz is still in there somewhere."

"It's very possible he may be somewhere within his own mind. It has happened before," The German Psychonaut said.

"You know what?" Lili said, determination flashing in her amber eyes. "The agency can give up on him all they want. I never will. Raz is still in there somewhere, and dammit, I'm going to rescue him whether that damn pretty boy likes it or not. And I don't care if you guys have given up on him either, I'm still going!" That said, she stomped past the counselors towards the door.

"Hey, you hold it right there, soldier!" Oleander cried.

Lili paused, turning and fixing them with a glare. "What now!?"

Milla grinned. "Now who said we had given up on him, darling?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

The teenager's brow furrowed. "Well..."

"I'll have you know we said no such thing, Miss Zanotto," Sasha stated, a smirk coming to his face. "We were just waiting for you to say it."

"Yeah, did you really think we were going to run off without waiting for you to wake up?" Ford chuckled. "After seeing you throw melted crayons at other kids when you were younger, we have no intention of getting you mad at us."

"...What?" Lili blinked, then her eyes narrowed. "Then why are you stopping me!?"

"Oh, don't get us wrong, we have no intention of stopping you," said Sasha.

Milla giggled. "Yes, by all means, if you want to go save Razputin in dirty clothes and bed hair, be our guest."

Lili blinked again. She then glanced down, only to see she was indeed still in her rumpled, dirty, and torn clothes from three days ago, and her hair was indeed a total mess. She felt her face flush slightly. "Oh." The older Psychonauts all laughed, which caused her face to grow redder. "S-shut up!" She snapped. "Fine, I'm getting a shower, I'm going to change, and then I'm going to save Raz!"

It was then that her stomach decided to interject with a loud growl, which of course, only made her former counselors laugh harder.

Lili blinked, then gave a small laugh. "Alright, alright. First a shower, then a change of clothes, then breakfast, and_ then_ I'll go save Raz." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Smart woman." Oleander commented.

"Yes, except what's with this 'I' business, darling?" Milla asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Indeed. I believe you seem to have mistaken it for 'we'." Sasha drawled.

Lili stared at them for a moment, looking slightly baffled. Then she sighed, shaking her head and trying to ignore the grin that was trying to creep onto her face. "Alright, alright... _we'll_ go save Raz."

Milla positively beamed. "That's the spirit, darling! Now you go get a shower and then come eat , alright? I'll make you something."

"Oh God, Milla, this isn't going to be more of your health food crap, is it? That's not gonna help a growing kid!" Oleander exclaimed.

The Brazilian Psychonaut scowled. "Be quiet, Morry! I'll inform you something high in protein and low in fat is just the kind of thing your body needs!"

"No, that's what the grease in bacon is for!"

"Mmm, bacon..." Ford's face spread into a grin. "Milla, make me some bacon, would you!?"

Sasha made a face at the mere mention of the word 'grease'. "Ugh. That is definitely not true, but I would have to agree with the health food idea."

Milla made a noise of outrage. "Sasha! Why you... gah, men!"

As the three continued to argue over the concept of breakfast food and Ford continued to ramble about bacon, Lili made her way towards the bathroom. A change of clothes was tucked beneath one arm, her thoughts buzzing. "Hang on Raz, we're coming to save you," She murmured.

"For real this time."

--

Chaos.

The images flashed across the screen, bringing a soft light to an otherwise pitch black room. Images of decimated cities, leveled skyscrapers, crushed tanks and airplanes, all beneath a dusky, blood-red sunset. Mobs rioting in the streets, waving crudely made signs about the end of the world, breaking the windows of stores and rushing in to loot what they could. A woman spitting out her muted report with eyes that spoke of fear, the statistics flying endlessly past at the bottom of the screen in a flurry of grim numbers. Millions killed in days, no survivors, the world in a complete and utter panic.

"Beautiful." The word passed over Nereus' lips from where he reclined, the light from the television screen flickering in his eyes. "Just beautiful. So much better than I could have ever imagined." He let out a soft chuckle, plucking a grape from a bunch at the table beside him and eating it. After swallowing the fruit he glanced to his right. "What do you think, Razputin?" He asked, reaching out to thread his fingers through the kneeling teen's reddish brown hair. "It's gorgeous, is it not?"

Raz said nothing. He just sat there, dull eyes staring straight ahead.

After a few moments of silence Nereus answered for him. "Yes, of course. Your work is brilliant, Razputin... this is the work of a true artist," He drawled, gesturing towards the screen. "Absolutely magnificent."

Again, he received no response.

"..No, no, worry not. Once this is all finally over, I will have my empire constructed over these ruins. It will be truly magnificent, once it is all over. A spiraling kingdom where psychics rule, where there is no more crime, no more death or pain... it will be peaceful. Paradise. And you will sit by my throne once it is all complete... won't it be wonderful, Razputin?" Nereus glanced over at the teen as he continued to pet Raz's head, as if he were a dog.

And yet again, Raz remained silent.

Nereus's brow furrowed slightly, his fingers tightening so they were gripping the boy's hair painfully. "Will it not be excellent, Razputin?"

No response. Just dead eyes that stared listlessly forward. Lifeless. A broken toy, nothing more.

Sapphire eyes became sorrowful as Nereus relaxed his grip, slowly running his fingers along Raz's jawbone, the teen not even flinching from his touch like he used to. "...Razputin..." He murmured quietly.

He had his weapon. The world was nearly at his feet... but was it really worth this?

"No... no, of course it was," The blond muttered. "I did the right thing. You must understand, Razputin. I did not want to do this, but you left me no choice... no choice... but no, no, it was the right thing to do. Sacrifices must be made. I'm doing the right thing, Razputin. I'm doing the right thing." He shook his head, his voice cracking.

"Stop saying that! I had to do it! I had to do it! She had to die, you had to die, they all... I'm doing this for all of you, can't you understand!? Why can't you understand that!? I'm doing the right thing! It's not evil if it's for good! I'm fixing this world, I'm fixing it!" He screamed, his voice echoing throughout the room. He stood and began to pace back and forth, ranting. "I'm not the one who's wrong, it's you! It's all of you! Every last damn one of you! You just don't understand, but I'll make everyone understand! Why don't you get it!? I'm doing it because I love you! I _love_ you!"

Without warning Nereus' hand suddenly shot out, slapping Raz across the face, the sound echoing throughout the room. "Do you see that!? That was love! This is... no, no, it's right, it's right! I'm not crazy, I'm not!" He shouted, cackling even as tears streamed down his cheeks. "You're all the crazy ones... you just don't get it, that's all! I'll make you understand! I will! You'll see, you'll all see! I love you, I love you... AUGH!" He reached up to claw at his own head, sapphire eyes wide.

"Damn it all! I hate you! I hate you all! You, Spinoza, Inoue, Father! I HATE YOU! I hate it all! Hate it, hate it, HATE IT!"

His final shout echoed throughout the room, followed only by a series of heavy breaths. Raz had remained utterly motionless throughout this entire rant, sitting there, gazing ahead even as his cheek turned a bright red from the earlier slap.

After a few minutes Nereus fell back in his seat again, panting. He then glanced over at Raz, letting out a small, broken giggle. "Poor, poor Razputin..." He murmured, reaching out to caress the face he had just slapped. "I'm so sorry... I know this must hurt. But I promise you... I'll find a way to make it up to you. You will have a place by my side forever... it will be wonderful."

"And your girlfriend, if she is still living... I hate women, the conniving little things, but for you... for you, I will make an exception for her. If she is still alive... well, I will need a heir to inherit my throne, after I am gone," He smiled. "For you, I will allow her to bear our child... I'll name him after you, Razputin. It will be wonderful... it will be wonderful, don't you see? I love you... I want you to be happy. That's why I'm doing all this... all for you, Razputin. All for you."

Raz gave the barest twitch at this. Just the slightest hint of movement, hardly anything. But upon seeing this, Nereus' sickening smile widened. "Yes, Razputin... it will be beautiful." He murmured, threading his fingers through the teens hair once more. "You'll see... you'll all see..."

--

Truman Zanotto was not having a good day.

He had gotten roughly two hours of sleep the night before, something that was becoming an unfortunate habit over the past week. He had been going since four this morning and had already been nearly suffocated under a mound of paperwork, endured a grueling report that spoke of little more than grim statistics, and sat through a meeting that had dissolved into little more than a panicked yelling session.

Suffice to say, the Grand Head was ready for a thirty hour nap.

The aging man leaned wearily on his desk, paperwork piled around him in mountains. "I don't believe this..." He muttered, running his hands through graying dark hair.

A knock on the door interrupted his groaning. "Come in," Truman groaned, not even glancing up.

The double doors to his office cracked open and Derek Westfield peeked his head in. He flashed a small smile. "Morning, sir," He said as he stepped inside the office, carrying several cups of coffee and a box. "The other agents and I heard things were going rough for you, so I figured I may as well go back to my original, utterly pointless purpose of being 'the coffee guy'. Also there's donuts."

"Oh, thank God," Truman mumbled as he reached out and took the coffee, promptly taking a hearty sip of the steaming dark liquid. "Westfield, you're a terrible secretary but I'm not gonna lie, you make a great coffee guy."

Derek rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not, sir," He drawled as he set the box of donuts down on a mound of paperwork.

Truman snorted as he took a donut. "If you want me to keep turning a blind eye to the fact that you keep stealing Michelle James' job even after losing those files, you'd better consider it a compliment."

The young man gave a sigh, scratching his head. "I'm really sorry about that, sir, I had no idea she was... you know..."

"Don't worry about it," Truman said, waving a hand. "Is she doing alright?"

Derek gave a sigh. "She's the same as all the others, sir. She's been unconscious for days," He said, scratching his head as he gazed around the office. "I just wish I had realized earlier... she really was acting a bit weird, too..."

Truman rolled his eyes. "Shut up, take a donut and sit down. With all the shit that's going down the agency doesn't give a crap about some missing files, they're having too much fun grilling my ass." He added grimly.

Derek shook his head as he took a donut. "Sounds like you have it rough," He commented.

"You have no idea," Truman muttered. "First Razputin goes missing, then I'm sitting there trying to argue with the council to not pull another Ford Cruller with the kid... and then suddenly the kid pops up and he's annihilating cities faster than we can do anything about it." He shook his head, his expression grim. "We've lost fifty agents already. Guess who's to blame?"

"Sir..."

Truman shook his head again. "Shut up, Westfield, I don't wanna hear it," He said gruffly. "Part of it is my fault. I should have been paying more attention to that strange psychic signal. If I had done that, maybe I could have prevented what happened with your girlfriend--"

Derek nearly choked on his donut. "She is not my girlfriend!" He sputtered.

"Uh huh. At any rate... if we had paid more attention to that and if I could have gotten the damn council to not ignore the issue with Razputin for so long, this might not have happened." Truman muttered. "Bastards... if it weren't for them always taking the easy way out, we wouldn't be in this mess. And of course, I'm the one who gets blamed for it." He put his head in his hands. "I should have known that there was something up, what with Lili suddenly vanishing to Whispering Rock..."

"Your daughter?" Derek frowned. "Isn't she dating the Razputin kid?"

Truman snorted again as he stroked his mustache. "Yup. And as much as I like the kid... really, I should have known, he's the only reason she pulls stuff like this. I haven't been able to get in contact with her at all." He took another sip of his coffee as he gazed absently at the picture frame on his desk. The picture was old, taken three years ago when he had finally had some vacation time and he had decided to take his daughter on a cruise. She had insisted on bringing her boyfriend along, and though Truman had been grudging at first... the smile on all three of their faces in that picture said a lot about what had happened on that vacation.

He approved of his daughter's choice, really. He had trusted that Raz kid... and even now he wondered if there was more here than met the eye when it came to him. But right now, above all else, he was just worried about his little girl.

The Grand Head forced himself to look away after a moment, giving a sigh. "At any rate... we've gotten in contact with the boy's father, apparently this all over some stupid gypsy family feud. The psychic agencies worldwide have kept track over their families in the past, they had too much psychic energy not to... but their families have constantly been moving all over the world and they never quite fall under one specific country's jurisdiction. By the time anyone filled out the paperwork to check them out, they had already moved, and there were all sorts of politics involved... over time the psychic energy dwindled and it was assumed both families had gone quiet."

Derek snorted. "Yet another case of professional screwing up?"

Truman laughed quietly. "I guess so... if someone hadn't gone and jammed those files in a back room where they were unlikely to ever be found, maybe someone would have remembered the name Aquato and looked into it long ago. But no, it figures... those files back there are never organized like they should be."

The young man across from him shook his head. "Man... what a mess."

"No kidding," Truman muttered. "It doesn't help that the boy's father has no suggestions as to what to do. If I can make it through this with the agency intact, let alone my career, it'll be a miracle."

Derek gave a sigh as he took a sip of his coffee. "Well, that sucks."

"Pretty much," Truman muttered.

The two sat in silence for a bit, then Derek stood, not even bothering to straighten his wrinkled suit. "Well, I should go. The agency needs it's coffee and pastries."

Truman snorted. "Indeed. Go, before they add 'withholding the coffee guy' to their list of reasons to kick me out of office."

"Yeah..." The young man made his way towards the door, then paused and glanced back at the Grand Head. "Sir... what exactly are you going to do?"

The Grand Head sat there for a moment, his face grim. "Considering the technology for that GPC bomb isn't quite ready yet... right now, the council just expects me to send more agents just to make it seem like we're doing something." He said quietly.

Derek's face went pale. "That's... pretty much a suicide mission at this point, sir."

Truman ran a had through his hair, suddenly looking far older than he was. "I know. Trust me, Westfield, I know."

--

"Well, he's definitely been here!" Ford yelled over the whir of helicopter blades, his face grim as he surveyed the destroyed landscape below, a large chunk of psitanium strapped to his back.

"No shit!" Lili cried back as she peered out of the craft, her long pigtails whipping around her. "What gave it away, the rubble or the smoking bodies!?"

"Lili!" Milla exclaimed from her spot next to the girl.

"Sorry, Milla."

"The question isn't whether he's been here," Sasha stated, trying to keep his glasses from blowing off of his face as he surveyed the ground. "The question is whether he's still here or if we're too late."

"We're not too late," Lili said, her grip on the rough seat beneath her tightening. "He's here. I know he is."

"Well, I can't argue with that logic. There he is." Oleander called out, pointing ahead.

"Really!?" Lili gasped, thrusting herself forward so she was peering over the front seats out of the windshield. "Where!?" Her amber eyes searched for a moment, before at long last they found what the coach had been pointing at.

She saw him there, floating among the rubble, the ends of his trench coat billowing around him, the sunset illuminating his thin form. He stood at Nereus' side, the blond's head held high as he called out orders, a look of triumph flashing across his face as his soldiers stumbled through the rubble, searching for any survivors.

"Well... there's our kid." Ford muttered, gloved hands tightening on the control stick as he kept the machine steady. "Alright, Sasha, Milla, Lili, do your thing. Morry and I will stay here as back up."

"Backup?" Oleander repeated, sounding offended. However, once Lili glared at him, he seemed to change his mind. "Fine, fine..." He muttered, sinking back into his seat. "But damnit, you guys had better get this right this time."

"Don't you worry, darling, we will," Milla said as she stood up, her long, silky hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way. Sasha just nodded as he stood and made his way towards the door, where Lili already stood.

Ford nodded. "Right. Good luck to all of you," He said, giving them a salute. "Oh, and... make sure you bring him back this time." He added with a small smile.

"We will, sir." Sasha said with a nod.

"You can count on it," Lili stated. "Now come on, let's go." With that, the three leaped from the helicopter, Morry's threat of "Don't you dare get killed, or else...I'll kill you!" following after them.

Using levitation to break their fall, the three soon alighted upon the ground, each with the well-practiced ease of one whom had done such a feat many times before. "Nereus," Lili said coldly, the wind sending her hair and skirt whipping every which way, her arms crossed before her, expression one of grim determination. Sasha and Milla stood behind her, Milla's lips pressed into a thin line, hands on her hips, while Sasha's eyes were narrowed from behind his sunglasses.

Upon hearing Lili's voice Nereus turned, sapphire eyes narrowing even as the ghost of a smirk passed across his face. "Well then," He commented as he faced them, the wind blowing strands of hair into his eyes. "I see the three of you have failed to die yet again."

"I'm afraid we won't be doing that any time soon, darling," Milla said. "Not until we have Razputin back."

"Really now?" Nereus asked, quirking an eyebrow at them. "I would have thought you would have worked it into your pathetic little skulls by now that he is mine, and he is going to stay mine. Your last few attempts at stealing him from me have proved fruitless, why should this be any different?"

"Because Razputin was never yours to begin with," Sasha stated coolly.

Nereus cocked his head to the side. "Is that so? Well, it's a pity that you don't seem to understand exactly who owns who here. However, even if you can't understand that, I think this may make enough sense. You may have come for Razputin, but you will not find him here. He is gone. Vritra is all that remains."

"Liar," Lili hissed, her fingers gripping her own arms so tightly it would have been painful, had she been in any condition to really notice.

The blond's smirk widened. "Do you want proof, Miss Zanotto? Allow me to show you." He glanced over his shoulder at Raz, whom had remained with his back turned to them all this time. "Razputin, come here."

At this command the teen turned with motions that were almost mechanical, his ends of his trench coat billowing around him as he faced his former friends. He surveyed them with dull, lifeless eyes, his lithe body silhouetted against the rays of the sunset, giving him an ethereal, otherworldly sort of glow. But even with this glow... there was no life in that face, no recognition, not the barest twitch of emotion.

He was dead in all but name.

"Can't you see it? Razputin isn't there anymore. He's dead and gone. That person you knew, that heroic little boy... he is dead. This is all that remains... this splendid, perfect specimen. Beautiful... so much more spectacular than anything that could possibly be crafted from man's hand. What you see here is not Razputin, what you see is a work of art." Nereus cackled.

"Shut up!" Lili snarled. "I don't care what you say! Raz is still in there somewhere, and we're going to save him, damnit! There's nothing you can do about it!"

Nereus quirked a brow at her. "Do you truly believe that, little girl?"

"I do. We all do."

"...Interesting. I suppose it will be very sad when you are proven wrong, then." That said, Nereus levitated into the air, flying until was a good distance away. He finally alighted on a small, raised concrete outcropping that may have once been a building, situated in such a way so he could still view what was going on. With this complete, he gazed down at the group, his sapphire eyes meeting Lili's dark amber ones.

"Get them, Razputin."

The instant those three words left Nereus's lips, Raz seemed to spring to life, his eyes flashing orange. He floated high into the air, shoulders tensing as he crossed his forearms before him, sparks of energy crackling from flexed fingertips. The ends of his trenchcoat flew back, bits of rubble rising up around him.

Lili, Sasha, and Milla barely had time to bring up a shield before the blast of psychic energy tore through the area, a shockwave of power.

When the dust had cleared Sasha's shield flickered away, only for the German Psychonaut to be knocked into the sky with a blow so fast he hadn't been able to track it. Sasha let out a cry of pain just before another blow connected with his chest, then his shoulders, sending him slamming back into the ground with an earth shaking rumble, shattered bits of concrete and dust flying everywhere.

Milla caught the sound of Sasha's cry, her emerald eyes widening. "Sasha!?" She exclaimed. She wasn't able to get anything else out before a blast hit her, eliciting a scream that was cut off when a blow caught her in the back, knocking the wind from her.

"Raz!" Lili cried as she looked around frantically, trying to figure out where her boyfriend had disappeared to. "Raz, s-- GAH!" She let out a cry as a great slab of concrete slammed into her from behind, knocking her aside like a toy doll.

Raz appeared for an instant in the air, his face still blank as he glanced around, searching for his victims. He then suddenly spun around and held up his right hand, an orange shield flaring to life and blocking the great blue Pis-blast that had just been sent at him. He then easily ducked beneath Milla's aimed kick to his head, catching her ankle with telekinesis and throwing her into Sasha, sending them both to the ground in a heap.

After a few seconds the two shakily got to their feet. "Razputin!" Milla pleaded. "Darling, please, you have to snap out of it! We don't want to hurt you!"

"Yes, Razputin! Please, you must fight it!" Sasha cried.

If Raz heard them, he didn't show it. He merely gestured, causing all of the rubble around the pair to rise as if it were alive. The two dropped to the ground just as it all converged where they had been standing mere seconds before, only just avoiding being completely crushed. Raz then quite suddenly swerved to the side, easily avoiding the slab of concrete Lili had aimed for him. He glanced over his shoulder, then gave a light gesture of his fingers, sending her slamming into a half-destroyed wall.

Nereus watched from afar, his brow furrowing. "He's going easy on them," He growled, face twisting into an expression of rage. "Why is he going easy on them!? RAZPUTIN!" He cried, raising his voice. "What are you doing!? Do not hold back against them! Destroy them!"

At the blond's words Raz shuddered, his body tensing. He then gave the barest of nods, energy flickering around him like fire.

Lili was only just getting to her feet when she quite suddenly found herself tossed into the air again, a scream tearing from her throat as a blast of energy enveloped her, an impossible pain coursing throughout her entire body. She collapsed to the ground in a heap, twitching uncontrollably and smoking, her amber eyes wide as she stared up at the sky.

"Lili!" Milla shrieked. This was all she was able to get out before both she and Sasha were enveloped in the same sort of attack, telekinetically lifted into the air and twisted at unnatural angles, thrown into each other like playthings.

This wasn't a battle. This was slaughter.

Finally after several minutes of this the two were tossed in a heap next to Lili, both shuddering and panting for breath. Sasha lay on his back, one of the lenses of his sunglasses shattered, his visible gray eye wide. Milla twitched face down next to him, her clothing covered in gashes and burns, a groan of pain coming from her lips. Lili was only just now getting to her knees, her arms shaking with the effort it took to rise.

And there above them floated Raz, his face blank as he studied them, no evidence of any sort of remorse on his face. Just a cold, blank stare. The eyes of a monster.

"Excellent!" Nereus cackled. "Now go on Razputin, finish them! Show them once and for all that you belong to me and only me! Let them see you like this and despair, knowing that I have finally won! Do it, Razputin, kill them!"

Raz floated there in silence for a moment. Then, wordlessly, he pulled back his right hand, orange energy sparking around it, ready to deal the finishing blow.

Lili glanced up at Raz, amber eyes wide. "...N-no...Raz..."

The energy sparked, Raz's arm tensed, and he thrust his arm forward.

"Raz! No, stop, please!" The brunette pleaded. "Raz, this isn't like you! Stop it! Please!"

And Raz hesitated. He hung there in the air, his arm frozen halfway towards it's intended target, energy still sparking in his hands, his eyes wide, his expression one of shock.

"Li..li..."

Lili gasped. "...Raz? Raz, can you--"

"RAZPUTIN!" Nereus snarled, interuppting whatever Lili had been about to ask. "DO IT! KILL THEM, NOW!"

At this command Raz's eyes narrowed once again, his arm pulling back once more.

Lili let out a shuddering breath. "Raz! Raz, don't! You can fight it! Don't do this!"

"Razputin!" Milla cried out, trying to rise as well, craning her neck upwards towards the teen. "She's right, stop! You can do it!"

"Razputin! Stop this at once!" Sasha yelled.

Raz couldn't hear them anymore. He thrust his arm forward, orange energy crackling around it, a killing blow.

Lili let out a shriek, bringing up her hands to block her face. "RAZ, NO!"

Silence.

Milla slowly cracked open one eye, then opened both of them, her eyes widening at what she saw. "...Razputin?"

Both teens were frozen, Raz's palm mere inches from Lili's face, her bare fingers clamped around the exposed skin on his wrist. Both were shaking, their expressions identical ones of shock, eyes wide.

_-What'sgoingonHELPletmeoutletmeoutMAKEITSTOPIdon'twanttodothisSTOPSTOPSTOP!-_

Raz suddenly sprung away, clutching at his head and screaming in pain, while Lili merely jumped, panting and shaking as she reached up to touch her forehead.

"Lili? Lili, sweetie, are you alright!?" Milla asked.

Lili blinked, glancing down at her fingertips, then back at the screaming Raz. "...He's still in there." She whispered.

"What?" Milla sputtered, brow furrowing.

The brunette shook her head. "I... I can't explain it! When I touched Raz... I just felt it! He's still in there somewhere!"

Milla glanced from Lili to Raz. "That's...b ut how?"

Sasha frowned, looking to Raz as well. "Hm...it's possible..." He murmured, eyes narrowing.

"What's possible, darling?" Milla asked.

"Stay here," Sasha said, levitating into the air towards Raz. "I want to try something."

Milla's eyes widened. "Sasha! Don't, it's dangerous!"

The German Psychonaut ignored her as he floated up to Raz, finally stopping when he was mere feet from the teen. The boy was only just beginning to regain his composure, his eyes widening as he realized Sasha was there. Raz's eyes then narrowed, energy sparking around him as he made as if to attack...

And then quite suddenly he stopped as Sasha pressed two pale, _gloveless_ fingertips against Raz's forehead.

Almost immediately Raz reared back as if he had been struck, letting out a renewed scream and clutching at his head. Sasha stumbled as well with a cry, eyes wide.

"Sasha!" Milla shrieked as her partner hung in midair, a head pressed to his forehead for a moment. "Sasha, are you alright!?"

"I... I'm fine," Sasha said, letting out a shaky breath. "But... I think I have found a way to free Razputin."

"What do you mean?" Lili asked, her brow furrowing.

"His mental blocks are all gone," The German Psychonaut explained simply over Raz's cries. "It's likely that in order to release this much power, they all had to be removed. His power level may be phenomenal, but his mind is defenseless, meaning a mere brush of bare skin on his results in an overload of perceptions. In turn, we receive his thoughts as well."

"Which is why... this is happening?" Lili asked, watching as Raz clutched at his head.

Sasha nodded. "Exactly. I sense there is some sort of device within his brain, which is likely Nereus' control mechanism. It must be considerably powerful... but that mere touch is enough to effect it. I believe if we do this enough..." At this he paused, lurching forward and pressing his fingers against Raz's head again, eliciting yet another scream from the boy. "If we do this enough, we may be able to overload the device. I am unsure as to what would happen then... but at least he would no longer be under a madman's control."

"So all we have to do is touch him?" Milla asked, gazing up at Raz and wincing as he screamed.

"Yes."

"NO!" Nereus, whom had been watching this all in a sort of mute horror, suddenly cried. "That... ahaha... you're all idiots, that would never work! You can't destroy the device just by touching him! Razputin will forever be under my control! There is nothing you can do about it!"

In spite of this confident statement however, he was shaking, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Is that so? So you're telling me this won't do anything?" Milla tugged her glove from her right hand and reached out to touch Raz's wrist.

The moment she did Raz let out another scream, as did she, and the two separated at if burned. Milla recovered after a few moments and glanced over at Nereus, grim determination shining in her eyes.

Nereus shook his head. "Stop that!"

"I don't think so, pretty boy!" Lili snapped, floating up to Raz as well. She reached out and gripped Raz's hand, holding on with all her might, gritting her teeth even as Raz's screaming picked up in intensity. He jerked, finally breaking free from all of them and levitating a few feet away, clawing at his head.

What was happening to him!? What was going on!? Nothing made sense and oh God his head hurt and Master was saying something but he couldn't understand it and he had to get away! He just had to get away! There was a voice in his head saying that this wasn't right, this wasn't right at all, something was horribly wrong and he had to stop! He had to make it stop! The voices, the pain, everything! He had to get away, had to get out of there!

There was no escape, however. The moment he moved away he found the barest touch on the back of his neck, Milla's gentle voice ringing in his ear. "Come now, darling, you can do it. Fight him!" She whispered in encouragement, reaching out to catch one of the teens hands in her own and squeezing it tightly."Just fight him!"

Raz floundered in the air, trying to bat away this source of agony, but a second hand reached out and clamped down on his free hand, holding it still and doubling the pain lacing through his skull. "Razputin, control! Come now, I know you are stronger than this!" Sasha's voice came to him, saying things he couldn't understand at this point. "Fight it! Fight it!"

"Raz..." A soft hand pressed against his cheek, amber eyes meeting his, a voice that was somehow both harsh and caring at the same time filling his senses. "Come on, you idiot! I know you can do this! Fight him!"

"STOP IT! RELEASE HIM!" Nereus screamed, launching himself towards the four of them, his face a mask of fury. "YOU CANNOT DO THIS!"

Raz was still screaming as he tried desperately to break free from the hands holding him down, and he was screaming and screaming and he just couldn't stop!

"It's alright honey, relax, you're going to be fine!"

"This should not last much longer, Razputin. It will be over soon!"

"Raz! You're gonna be okay, okay? Okay!?"

Oh God why wouldn't they let go!? Did they want him to die!? Did they!?

"RAZPUTIN!" There were flashes of blue energy bursting around them, but either the ones holding him down didn't notice or didn't care. "Release him! Damn it all, you cannot have him, he is mine! He is my weapon, he is my brother, he is MINE! RAZPUTIN!"

He was barely registering them himself, everything hurt and it wouldn't stop and oh God his head was splitting in two!

"STOP!"

"Just a bit longer..."

"Keep fighting, you're going to be fine..."

"STOP THIS NOW!"

"Come on Raz, you can do it!"

"_RAZ!"_

Raz threw back his head, letting out a final, terrible scream. Sasha, Milla, and Lili withdrew at once. "SHIELD!" Sasha cried out, three bubbles of psychic energy appearing only just in time. Nereus skidded to a stop, his sapphire eyes wide.

"NO!"

Finally, something in Raz finally broke. A shockwave of blinding white shot across the entire area, decimating what was left of the city, turning to rubble to dust, vaporizing the remnants of trees and grass in an instant. It was bright, far too bright, so bright the three psychics had to squeeze their eyes shut against it, the wind sending their hair whipping back. There was a great, rumbling roar that shook the ground, swallowing Nereus' shout of despair as everything vanished.

And then all was silent.

When the light finally cleared Lili cracked open one eye, then the other. Slowly she stood, glancing around. "...Damn."

All that remained of the area where they had been was a giant crater, a great hole in the earth that spanned easily a hundred feet in every direction. Dust and pebbles covered the area, but there was no indication that a part of a city had ever been there.

And there at the center of it all was Raz, knelt upon the ground and shaking, still clutching at his head.

"...Is he...?" Milla made as if to move towards him, but Sasha placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

It was a good thing that he did too, as at that moment Raz screamed, sending forth a blast of power and creating a small crater within the crater. Lili's eyes widened and she stepped back as the teen screamed again, letting out a feral cry and creating another small explosion of power.

"What is he--" Lili's question was cut off by an insane cackle near-by. The three psychics turned to see Nereus standing there, his clothing torn and matted, the goggles on his head cracked, his head thrown back, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"You fools! You stupid fools!" He cackled. "I told you not to do it, but did you listen!? No, you didn't! And now I've lost control!" He put his face in his hands, still giggling.

"Yes, and now Razputin is free," Milla snapped.

"Free!?" Nereus laughed again. "You think you have freed him!? You stupid wench! You've made things worse!" As he spoke, Raz let out another scream, rising into the air and writhing, sending forth a burst of power, the wind from it blowing back everyone's hair and clothes. "I've lost control. And now Vritra has no restraint. He's an uncontrollable, unchecked monster now!" He gestured towards Raz, his laughter becoming so wild that he could not speak.

Lili turned to gaze at her boyfriend, watching sadly as he screamed again, clawing at the material of his trenchcoat and tearing it away, drawing blood with his fingernails. "...Raz..."

"Yes, that's right Miss Zanotto. You thought he was still in there somewhere, didn't you? I told you you were wrong, and you didn't listen!" Nereus snorted. "You foolish girl. Look at the result of your mistake and despair." He chuckled.

Milla bit her lip, watching him with a pained expression. "Razputin..."

"Well... I suppose that's that. It can't be helped," Nereus turned, making as if to walk away. "Razputin may have been my greatest weapon, but I still have my army. He'll do enough damage on his own... I will just have to pick up the pieces once all is said and done, that's all."

"Where are you going!?" Sasha demanded.

The blond laughed again, glancing over his shoulder, matted blond hair falling before crazed eyes. "Do you truly think I'm foolish enough to stay here? You're the one who broke the leash, Nein. You can face the beast."

With that, he vanished.

All was silent for a moment, save for Raz's screams and the crumbling of rock. Finally, Lili wordlessly began making her way towards Raz.

"Come on guys. He's going to kill himself at this rate." She said.

Milla frowned. "Lili? What are you doing?"

"I told you. The agency can give up on him all they want. I never will," Lili stated without turning around, her pigtails and skirt flaring out behind her as Raz set off another blast. "He's not in enough control of himself right now to do much damage... if you guys have those psitanium handcuffs, this might not be so hard."

Sasha and Milla shot each other a glance, then followed.

Raz was stumbling over the rough, uneven ground, blood and tears streaming down his face, screaming hoarsely as he sent forth another blast. Then, quite suddenly he found himself floating in the air, his eyes widening as his feet left the ground. The teen let out an animalistic roar, thrashing and sending forth a burst of power.

He didn't get the chance to do anything else before a pair of handcuffs snapped over his wrists, effectively binding his arms behind his back. The teens eyes widened and he let out another roar, bucking and writhing like a captive beast. He was unable to do anything as he was lowered to the ground, however, floating so he was at eye level with Sasha, Milla, and Lili.

The teen let out another scream, panting and shaking, his sweaty face shining in the light of sunset. "Release me! I'll kill you, you hear me!? I'LL KILL YOU!" He snarled as he bucked against his bonds again, sounding nothing like the boy they all knew.

"I believe you may have some trouble with that. Perhaps you would normally, but it seems that overload to your psyche has incapacitated most of your power at the moment. It is fortunate for us that Nereus didn't realize that." Sasha glanced over at Milla and Lili, both of whom nodded. He then pulled out his psycho-portal, fixing it on the teens forehead, which was slick with sweat and blood.

Raz let out a growl, trying to jerk away from the thing and shake it off. "Release me, you filthy humans! Release me at once! I'll destroy you, you hear me!? You disgusting creatures!" He snarled.

His former friends gazed at him sadly for a moment as they prepared to enter his mind. Finally, Lili spoke.

"You're human too, Raz. You just need some help remembering, that's all."

The portal opened, and with a swirl of bright lights and colors they projected themselves into his mind.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Oh, the drama! You know you want to review._


	16. Finding Razputin

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Sixteen: Finding Razputin**

--

_And this is where the ridiculous waits began. Whoo hoo or something? On the bright side, there's all sorts of fun stuff in this chapter. You know, stuff like angst and existential crisis and adorable little kids and fiery dragons. You know you love it._

_Or maybe you don't, but I can hope you do._

_Anyway, um... not much else to say this chapter. Onward, I guess?_

_Suggested listening music is _Fin (Track 13) _and_ Rap Is A Man's Spirit (Track 12)_ for the second flashback and the end_.

--

"_Like a circle in a spiral_

_Like a wheel within a wheel_

_Never ending or beginning,_

_On an ever spinning wheel_

_As the images unwind_

_Like the circle that you find_

_In the windmills of your mind."_

--**The Windmills of Your Mind, Sting**

"_It's time for annnnimaaaniacs! And we're zaaaaaany to the max!"_

Lili let out a groan, her eyelids scrunching tightly in an attempt to keep out the flickering, dim light flashing from behind them. However, this did nothing to keep out the annoying, yet catchy tune that was echoing through her skull, so after a few moments she opened her eyes. She then closed and opened them again. Nope, she was still lying on a beanbag staring at the fuzzy TV screen in the main lodge of Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp.

"...Okay... what the hell?" She said as she sat up and glanced around. Yup, there was the same faintly peeling paint of the rec room, the same cheesy "read" posters, the same overstuffed beanbags and couches... it was all just as she remembered it.

"Hm?" Milla blinked as she sat up in the beanbag next to Lili, looking slightly disoriented and confused.

"Ach, I hate these things," Sasha muttered as he sunk farther into the beanbag he sat in.

Milla tsked. "It's a beanbag, darling, it isn't going to kill you." She drawled as she stood and brushed herself off.

"So you say," The German drawled as he stood.

Lili stood up as well, straightening her skirt. "Okaaay... this is weird... why are we back at Whispering Rock?"

Milla shook her head. "I don't know. I know we went into Razputin's mind... so how are we here?"

"Strange..." Sasha muttered as he glanced back at the TV. "...This cannot be the real world, the entire area has Razputin's signature..."

"So we're in his mind, then?"

"So it would seem."

Lili frowned as she glanced around, brow furrowing. "Well... maybe we should go see what the rest of the place looks like?" Her companions nodded, and together they made their way out into the main part of the lodge.

The entire lodge was silent, save for the regular, soft sizzling of the grill. The faint smell of charcoal wafted through the air, the ceiling fans rotating at a slow, lazy rhythm overhead. The entire place had a peaceful, lazy air about it that seemed to speak of slow, never-ending hot summer afternoons. The only thing that was missing was Quentin and Phoebe rocking away on the stage and Chef Cruller himself.

"...Okay..." Lili said slowly. "When I pictured what Raz's mind must look like after everything that went on, this wasn't what I had in mind. What the hell happened?"

"Nothing," Sasha murmured. "Nothing's happened. This is... exactly as it should be."

"Then... that's a good thing, isn't it?" Milla asked as she glanced around. "I mean... if some things still seem normal, then perhaps it does indeed mean some parts of Razputin's mind remain untouched."

"...Yeah," Lili said after a moment. "This is a good thing."She took a deep breath and let her eyes fall shut for a moment, inhaling the familiar scent of maple and campfire. She used to hate this place, but now, here in the midst of everything strange and dangerous... here was something commonplace. Here was something that wasn't new at all.

And for once, she was glad.

The three stood in silence for a moment. Finally, Sasha spoke. "Come on then. We have much to do," He murmured, brushing past his two companions and heading towards the door.

Lili glanced over at Milla, nodded, and followed, the Brazilian Psychonaut close behind her. Without sparing either of them a glance, Sasha pushed open the double doors and stepped out of the lodge, the other two following close behind...

Chaos.

That was really the only way to describe it. Raz's mind was in complete and utter chaos.

The circus was in flames. Tents curled this way and that, towering masses of blackening and curling canvas that rose into the air like skyscrapers. Snack booths lay in shambles, bits and pieces of smoldering old wood left in piles on the cracked, black concrete. Burnt flags, ropes, and posters blew away on the wind, their flames flickering in the dark sky like dying stars. Smoke billowed into the air, a black, sickening fog. The sound of a carnival fanfare could be heard in the air, but it was strained and twisted, like a scratched, broken record. The entire place had a broken, disjointed feel, like a sculpture that had been shattered, the thousands of pieces scattered and disjointed.

A fitting analogy, as this was the landscape of a shattered, broken mind.

"...My God..." Milla whispered, gloved hands going to her mouth, tears coming to her eyes as strands of rich, dark hair swirled around her head in the smoke.

"There is no God here," Sasha murmured grimly, his face stony behind dark sunglasses.

Lili said nothing as she gazed out at the destroyed landscape, amber eyes dark. Sure, she hated the circus... but this was different. Very different. Ordinarily, when one was in another person's mind, they could 'feel' that person's presence. It was everywhere, a constant whisper at the back of the psychic's mind, just a few faint strands of the tangled web that made them who they were.

But this was different. It wasn't that Raz wasn't there... he was just... splintered, somehow. Scattered into dozens of pieces and muted so he was barely there, just hints and whispers of what should have been.

It wasn't right at all.

"Help!" The brunette was snapped from her thoughts by this high-pitched cry, something that was almost drowned out by the sound of smoldering flame. Lili blinked, her brow furrowing as she glanced around.

"Did you two hear that?" She asked.

"Hear what, darling?" Milla asked, brow furrowing as well.

"Help!" Came the voice once again, strangled and barely audioable.

"That!" Lili exclaimed.

Milla blinked as she looked around. "Oh my! Yes, I heard it!"

"Heard what?" Sasha inquired, brow furrowing as he glanced around as well.

"Help me!" A choked sob, the voice coming out clearer than before. "Someone please help!"

"I'm not sure... it sounds like someone crying for help." Lili said, eyes narrowing.

Sasha frowned. "Hm... indeed, I hear it as well. But where is it coming from?"

Milla frowned as well. "It sounds like..." Her emerald eyes suddenly widened, her entire body going rigid. Then, without another word, she suddenly sprinted out into the flaming ruins of the circus, levitating from chunk of land to chunk of land with ease.

"What the... Milla!?" Lili sputtered out, charging after the Brazilian Psychonaut after a moment. "Milla, what is it!?" She received no answer, although Milla did press on faster, weaving through various burning tents and booths.

"Help me! Oh, someone please help!" The voice continued, sounding urgent and utterly terrified.

"Ah... that's what it is," Sasha suddenly breathed out as he jogged after his partner and Lili.

"What?" Lili blinked, glancing back towards Sasha, her pigtails fanning out behind her as she ran. "What is it?"

Sasha was silent for a moment. "...A child."

Amber eyes widened, then darkened as Lili heard the voice crying out yet again. "..Oh..." She murmured.

At last, Milla skidded through the ash into a small clearing, the smoldering remains of tents all around. She glanced around for a moment, taking in the sight of smoldering canvas and the scent of burnt wood... and then her eyes finally fell upon a tiny, huddled form at the center of it all. It was a little boy who wouldn't have been any older than five, clad in a simple pair of worn jeans and a slightly torn, dark green turtleneck which was really rather big on him. The boy's knees were pulled up to his chest, his face buried into the faded material of his jeans, sobs wracking his tiny frame.

Almost instantly Milla was on her knees at the boy's side, placing her gloved hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey darling, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She asked gently, an expression of motherly concern on her face. The boy glanced up at her face and blinked with tear-filled, shockingly green eyes, his face red and nose runny, his reddish-brown hair sticking up in all directions. The dark-haired woman let out a gasp, emerald eyes widening slightly. "Razputin!?"

The boy blinked, shrinking back slightly from her and shivering. "Y-yeah, that's my name. What do you want?" He asked, his voice shaky.

Upon noticing the boy's fear Milla's expression went back to sympathy. "I'm Milla. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm here to help." She promised, flashing the boy a warm smile.

"You're... here to help?" The boy blinked again.

Milla nodded. "That's right. Now can you tell me what's wrong, sweetie?" She asked. "Why were you calling for help?"

"Oh..." The little boy Razputin's eyes filled with tears again. "I... I lost somethin'. Somethin'... somethin' real important." He sniffled, looking as if he were about to break into fresh sobs once more. "I hafta find it!" The boy whimpered, scrubbing at his eyes with tiny, dirt-covered hands. "I-if I don't... oooh, I just gotta find it somehow!"

"Shhh, shh, don't worry, it's alright," The Brazilian Psychonaut murmured, pulling the little boy close. "Just relax, darling."

"B-but I--"

"Shhhh." Milla pressed a gloved finger to the child's lips, shaking her head as she offered a comforting smile. "Don't worry. I'll help you find it, alright?"

"You... you will?" Little Raz gasped.

Milla beamed. "Of course! But you have to promise me to stop crying, okay?" She said, moving her hand to brush away a few final stray tears from the little boy's face.

Little Raz sniffled once more. "...M'kay."

It was then that Lili and Sasha finally caught up, skidding to a stop in the ash before Milla and Little Raz, both panting for breath. The moment Lili's eyes fell upon the little boy in the Brazilian Psychonaut's arms her eyes widened. "Raz!?" She gasped.

"Is that... Razputin!?" Sasha sputtered, blinking in shock.

Milla glanced up at them and nodded before turning to little Raz, whom had ducked behind her. "It's alright, Razputin, you can come out." She said, flashing a reassuring smile. "These two are friends."

Raz peeked out from behind Milla to stare up at Lili and Sasha. "...Friends?" He repeated.

"That's right, friends. Their names are Sasha and Lili," The bubbly woman stated, gesturing to each of them in turn.

Raz stared at them for a moment. Then he leaned up so he was close to Milla's ear and whispered very loudly, "Sasha is a weird name for a boy."

Milla grinned. "He knows."

Sasha just let out a sigh, putting his face in his hands. "Always the kids with the name, ach..." He muttered.

His partner just shook her head as she got to her feet, brushing the ash from her brightly colored clothes. "These two are going to help us find what you lost, okay?" Milla asked as she helped the little boy to his feet.

"They are?" Raz peered up at Sasha and Lili, both of whom gave slightly confused nods. They had no idea what they were agreeing to... but if it was going to help Raz, they didn't really care.

The boy glanced from the two of them to Milla and back again. Then he pointed at Lili. "She's Lili, right?" Milla nodded. Little Raz fell silent, gazing up at her with large green eyes for a moment. Then he beamed.

"You're pretty!" He stated with the unbashed, innocent, gleeful little smile that only a child could pull off.

Lili felt a blush tint her cheeks. "Um...thank you." She said, a small smile coming to her face. Normally, she could care less for kids, but in this case she just couldn't help it! Raz looked so cute like this!

Milla giggled over this for a moment before growing serious. "Alright, Razputin, do you have any idea where you might have put what you lost?" She asked.

Little Raz frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "Hm... I'm not sure. This place looks really different right now..." He glanced around at the flaming circus, brow furrowing. Well, 'different' was one way to put it. "Um... maybe... this way?" With that, he suddenly left Milla's side and sprinted out into the ruins of the circus.

"H-hey, wait up, darling!" Milla exclaimed, racing to follow the boy.

"Energetic child," Sasha muttered as he chased after her.

"For someone who was just crying he seems fine now," Lili added dryly.

The boy's path was one of madness. He rushed this way and that, like an energetic little monkey, climbing over burning structures that would collapse just as he jumped off of them, speeding under smoldering remains into little crevices no one else could fit into, never pausing for even a breath. The Psychonauts were hard pressed to follow him, levitating over obstacles and mentally making resolutions to work out more that they would later break.

Finally they paused before a tiny, run-down tent, which was set away from the others and appeared to have been abandoned a long time ago. It's bright, childish colors were faded, it's ropes old and flimsy. Little Raz paused before it, gazing up at it in curious silence for a moment as Lili, Sasha, and Milla gasped for breath behind him.

"Huh... that's weird," The boy commented.

"Wha... what is, Razputin?" Sasha gasped out, hands on his knees.

"This tent... I only see it sometimes, and whenever I do I can never get to it for some reason," Raz said, cocking his head to the side as he gazed up at it. "But for some reason today I can... it must be because you're all helping me!" He stated, glancing back at his search party and beaming. They all just gave weak nods and smiles as they struggled to stand up straight. "Well, I've never checked here before! Come on, let's go in!" With that, the boy ducked into the tent.

"...But...if he's never been in there before, how could he lose something in there?" Sasha wondered aloud, brow furrowing.

"...I have no idea," Milla murmured.

Lili just shook her head, stepping ahead of the two of them and ducking into the tent after little Raz. For the most part, it just looked like a dusty, abandoned circus tent. Shimmering mental cobwebs coated long abandoned gear for practicing acrobatics, a layer of dust accumulating upon piles of old crates. However, sleeping in one corner seemed to be a rather old memory vault, it's outer shell rusted and dusty like everything else in the room.

Little Raz glanced around for a moment. "Oooh..." He wandered off to the side to prod at some of the old training equipment, eyes wide and curious.

"Well, looks like there was something in here after all," Milla commented as she stepped inside, observing the memory vault.

"Indeed... shall we?" Sasha asked.

Lili frowned. "Might as well. Maybe it'll give us some sort of clue..." With that, she walked over to the memory vault. A quick rap on the top of it caused the tired vault to crack open one eye, then yawn and pop open. The brunette nodded, taking the reel and blowing off the dust before reading the title.

"'Building the Tank.'" She blinked, brow furrowing. "...What the hell?"

Milla frowned. "Well... that's... odd. Shall we play it?"

Lili nodded, glancing around. Her eyes finally settled on a dusty old movie player, and with a shrug she walked over. "I love how incredibly convenient these things always seem to be," She commented dryly before popping the reel in.

--

This was it. Tonight was the night.

A four-year old Raz swallowed nervously as tiny, shaking fingers fiddled with the shimmering, stretchy material of his new leotard. He stood just outside the tent flap that led into the big top of the Aquato Circus, the shadows cast by the bright lights from within seemed to make his ashen face all the more pale. Sweat beaded upon his forehead, his breath hitching slightly as the excited cheers of the crowd in the tent came to his ears.

From the sounds of things, they had a full crowd tonight.

"Razputin?" The little boy blinked, glancing up to see the concerned face of his father. "Are you alright?"

Raz, not trusting his voice, gave a weak nod even as he shivered.

His father gave a small smile. "It's alright son, you'll be fine. You have the easy part," He said, placing his large, heavy hand on the boy's small shoulder. "You've done much harder things in practice, remember?"

The boy gave a small nod at this, taking a deep breath. His father was right, he shouldn't have been nervous. He'd been walking the tightrope not long after he had taken his first steps! He hated acrobatics, but that didn't mean he wasn't good at them! He could do this, it wasn't hard at all! He shouldn't be nervous!

Then why did he feel so sick? His head had been hurting all day too... maybe he was catching something?

His father gazed at him in concern for a moment. "Son, if you're really that nervous, you can wait until the next show. We can improvise around your pa--"

"NO!" Raz shook his head, a look of determination coming to his childish features, his hands clenching into shaking fists at his sides. "I-I'm ready!" He insisted, his voice only slightly shaky.

Raphael gazed at him for a moment. Then he sighed as the crowd gave another shout. "Alright, if you insist, Razputin," He spoke over the deep intones of the ring master.

"Well, that's our cue. Come, Razputin, we're on!"

Raz gave another nod even as the shout of the crowd made his stomach flip. He could do this! He'd be fine, really! It was easy stuff, nothing big!

But his head hurt...

"Razputin!" His father called once again.

"C-coming!" Raz stuttered. With that he forced a smile, squared his shoulders, and followed his father and the other acrobats into the ring.

The big top was packed. People sat shoulder to shoulder in the stands, cheering with mouthfuls of cotton candy and popcorn. The ringmaster's voice boomed as he spoke, but it all washed over Raz as he stood and waved his tiny hand mechanically, then made his way over to the ladder like the others.

He watched with wide eyes as the first acrobat made her way up the ladder, up, up, up, and then, with a quick bow, grabbed the trapeze and swung. Then went the next acrobat, and the next... and all too soon it was Raz's turn to make his way up that ladder.

"Go on, Razputin!" His father hissed, giving him a light shove. The boy swallowed and glanced up at the ladder, which seemed ten times taller than it ever had during practice. He glanced at his father one final time, then held his breath and made his way up the ladder.

Upon reaching the platform at the top the boy took a deep breath. Okay, he made it up. He could do this. It wasn't that hard, he could do this. With this in mind the boy made as if to jump for the trapeze...

_'Geez, would you look at that. His form is all wrong!'_

Raz paused, blinking in confusion. He then glanced down at an acrobat down below, brow furrowing. No, it didn't look like he was speaking... that was weird. The boy shrugged, convinced he must just be hearing things. Once again he prepared to jump...

_'Christ, I don't believe he's even getting a part this early. He doesn't even want to do this like the rest of us! The only reason he's here is 'cause he's Raph's son!'_

The boy stopped, brow furrowing. Okay, he was sure he had heard something this time! Again he glanced down at the acrobat. "W-What did you say!?" He called down.

The acrobat glanced up at the four-year old, brow furrowing. "Huh? What are you talking about? I didn't say anything!" He called back. _'And now he's hearing things, of course. Geez, stupid kid! Why is he even here!?'_

Raz blinked. "W-What!?" He called again.

_'Oh please, don't tell me he's forgotten the routine!' _Came the voice of the acrobat who had gone before Raz.

The boy scowled. "I didn't forget the routine!" He exclaimed, indignant. The girl blinked from across from him, looking confused.

"Razputin! Come on, move it!" His father called from down below. '_Has he frozen up? It's possible, it is his first time.'_

Raz's eyes widened and he took a step back on the platform. "W-what's going on!?" He asked, his voice wavering. He knew his dad hadn't said that last part, but he had still heard it in his head!

_'Okay, what the hell?'_

_'Jeez, what an amateur show.'_

_'Come on kid, move it!'_

_'What's he even doing on stage!?'_

_'Pfft, how pathetic!'_

_'Poor kid!'_

The four-year old stumbled away from the edge of the platform. "W-where are these voices coming from!? What!? Who... why are they all in my head!? What's going on!? AH! Make it stop!" He cried, clamping his tiny hands over his ears. This did nothing to make the multitude of voices go away, and the number of murmurs in his mind was growing by the instant.

_'Ugh, how much did I pay to get in here again?'_

_'Damnit, if Sarah starts crying again over this...'_

_'I hope I'm able to get out of here quickly once the show is done...'_

_'What's going on with the kid!?'_

_'I wonder if Todd'll hold my hand when they bring out the lion!'_

"Stop! Stop talking!" Raz cried as angry, very real voices began to join the ones in his mind. He couldn't tell which were which. All he knew was that his head really hurt and the voices were just so loud...

"Hey, we came here for a show!"

_'Maybe I should just go get a snack, it doesn't look like anything is going to happen in this act.'_

"Yeah, come on kid, move it!"

_'God, this is so lame.'_

"BOOOOO!"

_'Ugh, what is wrong with that kid?'_

"I want my money back!"

"If you have an acrobat that isn't ready, you shouldn't bring him out, morons!"

"Get outta the ring!"

"Stop... stop talking... please stop..." Raz whimpered as he fell to his knees, clawing at his head with tiny fingers. "Please... no more... not in my head... get out... make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!" He screamed at the stop of his lungs, tears streaming down his face. _"STOP!"_

A heavy hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder, giving him a light shake. "Son!? Razputin!?" Raphael exclaimed, trying desperately to get his son's attention. Raz just shook his head and sobbed, letting out terrified, incoherent pleas. After trying to rouse him for a bit longer, Raph finally took the boy into his arms and slid down the ladder towards the ground, motioning for the other acrobats to continue their act.

"Ah..." The ringmaster blinked, unsure of what to do. Upon seeing Raph's motion, however, he nodded and faced the crowd. "Ah, sorry about that, folks! We're having a few problems! Don't worry though, the show must go on!"

The audiences cheers became muffled as Raphael stepped out of the big top, cradling his sobbing, distraught child in his arms. The moment he managed to get into their caravan he sat down on the boys bed, allowing him to continue sobbing into his leotard for awhile. Finally after awhile the boys sobs quieted and he sat there on his fathers lap, hiccuping.

They sat in silence for a moment before Raphael finally spoke. "Razputin... what happened back there?"

Raz shook his head. "I 'unno." He sniffled.

Raphael frowned. "You've never had nerves before, so why--"

"Uh uh! I wasn't scared!" The little boy insisted, shaking his head as he pulled away from his father.

His father's frown deepened. "Look, Razputin, I know it's hard to admit you're scared sometimes. But still--"

"I wasn't scared! I just...I-I dunno! I was fine and then I was hearing voices!" The little boy exclaimed.

"...Voices?" Raphael repeated, his entire body stiffening.

"Y-yeah..." Raz stuttered. "I-it was like... I was hearin' everybody's thoughts or something..."

Silence.

"...Daddy?" The little boy blinked up at his father with eyes that were still red from crying. "...Daddy? What's wrong?"

"...It's nothing, Razputin," Raphael shook his head and smiled, reaching up to ruffle the boys hair. He then stood, lifting the boy with him and pushing back the ratty blankets that covered the rickity bed.

"D-daddy?" Raz repeated, his voice sounding incredibly small and scared in silence of their cabin. His father was silent as he placed the boy on the bed, however, tucking the boy in with stiff hands. He then pulled back and gazed down at his little boy, whom was blinking up at him imploringly.

"...There's nothing wrong with me, is there, Daddy?"

Raph gazed at him for a moment. Then he smiled and shook his head. "O-of course not, son. I'm sure it was just nerves, that's all. We'll try again at the next show, alright?" With that, he leaned forward, planting a kiss on the boys forehead.

"Good night, Razputin."

Raz couldn't help but catch his father's dark thoughts as he stepped out of the caravan, closing the rickety door behind him.

It definitely wasn't just nerves. In fact, as the days went by, things only got worse. Strange things began to happen around the four-year old. He would gesture and a crate would fly into the air. Something would make him jump and those around would almost swear they say a burst of red light flash from his head and disintegrate something nearby. The boy would be helping set up a tent and quite suddenly the rope would combust!

The worst part, however, was the voices. The boy honestly could barely take a step without catching a persons thoughts and feelings in their entirety, and entering the big top would send the boy to his knees, clutching at his head as he was completely immobilized by the jumble of voices in his mind. Raz couldn't even lay down to sleep, as whenever he did he'd always catch someone else's thoughts and dreams and be kept wide awake.

And then there were the voices that he didn't know the origin of. That quiet voice whispering in his ear, telling him this was all okay and all he had to was let the voice loose and it would make everything better...

His fellow circus performers grow more and more irritated with him, and as Raz would hear their thoughts, he was hardly kept in the dark about this. This wasn't nearly as bad as his father, however. Raphael had grown rather distant, all of a sudden. Every time Raz came to speak with him, his father immediately put him to work on his acrobatics, forcing the four-year old to practice and practice. Any mentions of these strange incidences, the suggest that perhaps he had 'powers' this only seemed to make his father angry with him.

Little Raz didn't understand. What was going on? What was happening to him? Was there something wrong with him?

These thoughts were running through the four-year olds mind as he lay hidden among the various crates that held extra supplies and things. His knees were pulled up to his chest, his large green eyes glassy as he gazed at the faded, multicolored canvas of the tent. This was one of the few places he could hide, since the circus performers didn't come near here as often as they did everywhere else. This was one of the few places where the voices were buzzing less in his head.

Or at least that was how it normally was, at any rate.

"Raph, I think we need to talk."

"What is it, Manny?"

Raz suddenly froze at the sound of the voice of one of the magicians and his father on the other side of canvas. Neither sounded happy.

"It's about your boy. I... really think you should get him checked out or something."

A sigh. "There's nothing wrong with Razputin, Manny."

"Bull!" Raz flinched at the harsh tone. "You know damn well there's something wrong with that kid! With everything that's happening around him... you know something's up, Raph!"

"He is a normal four-year old, Manny. There's nothing strange about him."

"Uh huh. Because normal four-year olds complain about voices in their heads!"

"He is normal, Manny!"

"Bullshit!" Manny snarled. "You know what he did yesterday!? Why, I was just walking by, thinking about a question I was planning on asking Miss Mancotta... and suddenly he up and answers my question! I never said it outloud! It was like he read my mind! Geez, Raphael, if I didn't know any better I'd say your son was psychic!"

Silence.

"...Don't ever say that again. My son is not, nor will he ever be psychic," Raph hissed.

"Really now?"

"He's not. He's normal."

"For the love of...you're in denial, Raph!" Manny exclaimed. "Just... look, there is something seriously wrong with that kid! The rest of the performers are getting worried too! Whatever the hell is wrong with your kid, we don't want it happening to us too! And all you can do is sit there and say 'oh, don't worry, he's normal'!? That's shit, Raph! You know damn well what your son is! He's a FREAK!"

There was the loud sound of Manny stomping away, then silence.

"...No... no, he's not a freak." Raphael muttered. "This has to be wrong... Razputin is normal. He doesn't have any powers. He's not. He can't be... damn it, they already took away my wife, my son can't be..." He trailed off, taking in a shaky breath. "No, not Razputin. Not my son." With that, he walked off.

_'He can't be psychic. He just can't be.'_

Raz leaned back against the crates long after his father had left, never knowing his son had overheard... not just what he had said, but his thoughts. He never knew that Raz had heard, had felt it all. The stab of anger, the worry, the pain...

The wish that his son could just be normal.

"...So... t-that's what they all think... huh? Even Daddy," The four-year old whispered, hugging his knees. "They all think I'm a freak. Even in the circus." He bit down on his lower lip, choking back a sob. "I-I don't g-get it... why am I like this? What's going on? Why... AUUUUGH!" The boy let out an anguished cry, clutching at his head.

"It's not fair! It's not fair! What's happening to me!? Why am I like this!? I-I didn't ask for it! I don't want it! I'm sick of it, I'm sick of it!" He cried, gripping at fistfuls of reddish-brown hair with tiny hands. "Just... no, everything was fine until these these came! I wanna make 'em go away! Make 'em stop! I wanna be normal! NORMAL!" He sobbed.

His head was starting to hurt again, a piercing pain coming from his skull. "NO! Stop!" He cried, beating at his head. "Stop hurting! I don't want it! No more! No more! I don't wanna be hated! I... I don't want Daddy to be mad at me! I don't want him to hate me! Stop it!"

The voice whispering in his ears was growing more and more urgent as the pain increased, a soft orange glow flaring up around him. "No, no, NO! Stop... if all this does it make everyone hate me, then I don't want it! Make it stop! Make it stop!" Raz insisted, shaking his head. "I-I don't care how! Just make it STOP! Stop it, stop it!"

"**STOP!"**

The orange energy suddenly burst away from him, a sudden explosion of heat and light coming from the tiny frame. The little boy let out a cry as he clutched at his head, tears streaming down his cheeks as his head felt as if it were being squeezed into something painfully small...

...And then quite suddenly both the light and the pain were gone.

The four-year old blinked, then slowly uncurled, allowing his hands to drop to his sides. "...Wha... what?" He gasped, reaching up to touch his head. Everything felt a bit muted now. It was a bit like being underwater (not that he could have known that), with every one of his senses diluted and dimmed.

But the voices were gone.

Raz let out a gasp. He slowly stood on weak, shaky legs, green eyes widening. "It's... it's all gone. It... it went away! It went away!" He cried, ecstatic. "YES! AHAHA! I DID IT! IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE!" With that, the boy rushed out of the tent, his gleeful cries heard throughout the entire circus grounds.

"It's gone! It's gone! I'm free! I'M FREE!"

--

Silence fell over the tiny, dusty tent, save for little Razputin's humming as he poked and prodded at an old weight bag.

"...What was that?" Lili wondered aloud. "I mean... I get that Raz must have had amazing powers even at that age, and that they came all at once... but what was with the last bit?"

The three stood in silence for a moment. Finally, Sasha spoke. "Milla, do you remember when Razputin first came to camp?"

Milla gave a small smile. "Of course I do! How could I forget, darling?" Her brow then crinkled in confusion. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember when we all tried to get inside his mind?" The German Psychonaut asked, quirking an eyebrow. "How it was like running into a wall of reinforced steel? Morry even commented that it was 'armored like a tank'."

Milla nodded. "Yes, Razputin's powers were amazingly well developed at his age, and his mental defenses are unmatched. I don't think anyone could manage to read his mind without him letting them." She paused for a moment, thinking. Then her eyes suddenly widened. "Sasha, you don't mean..."

"His blocks... it's not that he was trying to keep everyone out, like a fortress," Lili murmured. "It was that he was trying to keep his own powers _in_, like a prison."

Sasha nodded. "Yes, that is exactly right. What we just saw... Razputin's powers are immense. I have never seen anything like it. But awakening so suddenly like that... the child didn't understand, and so he sought to seal them away. Essentially, what Razputin did was seal his mind in his own personal GPC. On one hand, this was hardly healthy, and I imagine the years before he started reading the comic books and hearing about our organization he was incredibly miserable. On the other hand... by sealing his powers, Razputin saved himself from what could have been a crippling insanity, not to mention an explosion in power that would have potentially destroyed his entire circus."

"You really think Raz is that powerful?" Lili asked.

The German Psychonaut nodded once again. "We never have truly seen Razputin at his full power... I imagine he himself has not been able to access it. The power that he does use is that which he was able to safely take from behind the blocks. All else, and there is a lot of it, has never been used... although I believe he may have shown hints of it during times of stress. It has just never been fully released."

"You mean like Vritra?" Milla inquired.

"I... suppose that would fit the explanation, yes." Sasha stated. "The 'voice' that he heard could be attributed to this entire mess. It is likely that these blocks the boy unconsciously erected are the reason why this all didn't happen earlier."

"Awww, there's nuthin' in here!" Little Raz suddenly whined, interrupting their conversation. "Come on, let's go check somewhere else!" With that, he grabbed Lili's wrist and tugged her out of the tent. Both Milla and Sasha exchanged looks, then followed.

The child once again led them this way and that, weaving past smoldering tents and cinders. This time, however, they finally made it past the circus area, once again ending up in front of the mental version of the main lodge.

"Hmm... it's not back there..." The little boy pouted as he glanced back at the smoldering remains of the circus. He glanced around for a moment, his tiny brow furrowed in thought.

Milla patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. "Oh, don't worry darling. Maybe if we check again, there might be someplace we haven't looked yet--"

"Oh! Maybe it's over there!" Little Raz suddenly exclaimed, charging off in the complete opposite direction of the circus in a tiny blur of green. Milla was left standing there, her hand still held in the air as if it were on the child's shoulder, her hair blown back from the breeze the child caused when he ran off.

"Come on now, Milla, you should be used to it by now," Lili muttered darkly as she brushed past the Brazilian at a sluggish pace, her expression one of exhaustion.

"Indeed," Sasha drawled, his clothes in disarray from running this way and that.

"But... I..." Milla let out a sigh, then followed. "Ayiyiyi... it's times like these where I really remember how fast my biological clock is ticking..."

The boy led them right past the main lodge, beginning to hop from one tiny, floating island of rock to the other. Finally he stopped at a patch some distance away, where a tall wooden doorway was placed. He paused here, glancing back at the tiring psychics. "Come on!" He called. With that, he ducked beneath the beads surrounding the entry and vanished inside.

"Gaah, that kid! I swear, when we find whatever he's looking for... augh!" Lili grumbled as she paused for breath before the doorway. With that, she ducked beneath the elaborate beads and followed, her companions close behind.

They found themselves in a long hallway made of old, worn down wood. Various cracks and holes were torn through the floorboards and walls, evidence of some sort of struggle. Placed upon the walls were all sorts of old circus posters, some torn, others somewhat intact. Some merely depicted the Aquatos doing various acts... others, however, were different. Some now depicted Raz's adventures as a Psychonaut, the words "True Psychic Tales" printed across them.

Lili paused at one of the posters, a far-away look upon her face as she reached up to trace her fingers over it. It was a picture of herself and Raz, drawn in that strange style the comics were drawn in, both gazing deeply into each others eyes, a comic-book style advertisement for _"Sizzling Romance!"_ appearing in the corner.

"Lili." The brunette was snapped out of her reverie to see that Sasha and Milla were already much furthur down the hallway. "Come on, darling!" Lili flushed, turning back a final time to smooth out the poster before following.

Razputin had paused at the middle of the hallway, gazing up at the wall with wide green eyes. The Psychonauts paused as well, gazing up at what appeared to be a large hole in the wall, only just barely covered up by a large poster of Raz on stage at Whispering Rock.

"Razputin?" Milla asked, brow furrowing. "What is it?"

The little boy shook his head. "It's in there," He stated, pointing up at the hole. "That's where the thing I lost is."

"Really now?" Lili gazed up at the hole for a moment. Then, without warning, her pink psychic fist flared to life and tore through the poster. "Well? Let's go look, then."

Raz shook his head.

Sasha frowned, brow furrowing. "Come now, Razputin. Don't you want to find what you lost?"

The little boy nodded.

"Then come on now, darling. You aren't going to find it just standing there." Milla said gently.

"I-I... I can't." The boy shook his head again, ducking behind Lili. "It's scary in there."

Lili sighed. "Come on, it's just the dark. I'm sure there's nothing bad in there."

Raz shook his head.

Lili's eyes narrowed for a moment. Then she sighed, reaching down to take the child's hand. "Look, you're gonna be fine, alright? I won't let anything happen to you."

The little boy gazed up at her for a moment. "...Promise?"

"I promise. Now come on." With that, the group stepped into the hole.

For the most part, it was just darkness. That was all. Just an endless, infinite black. However, there was a small amount of light, and this shown down upon an expanse of thin fog, while various, brightly colored figments dashed around a single memory vault.

"Spooky..." Little Raz whimpered, clinging to the ends of Lili's skirt.

"Hm... strange,." Sasha commented, his brow furrowing as he gazed at the figments, showing faint images of various buildings aflame and people running this way and that.

"Yes... judging from these figments, I think I may know what that vault is about," Milla murmured grimly. "It's no party."

"Yeah... but I think it might be just what we need to see," Lili stated, hands on her hips. "Could you get it, Sasha?"

The German Psychonaut nodded, stepping through the figments with ease, the multicolored images vanishing in puffs of energy. He rapped the vault lightly with his knuckles, then took the reel it spit out. "'Ferrowbrooks.'" He read aloud. "Well, that's certainly direct enough."

"Alright darling, put it in." Milla said, gesturing towards the player. Her partner nodded, walking over and placing the reel in.

"I think it's time we finally see what really happened two years ago."

--

The town was on fire.

The crumblings remains of walls and melted glass that had once made up store fronts and windows were spread out upon the charred and broken concrete. Vehicles lay crumpled and crushed like toys in heaps among the rubble; twisted spires that had once been traffic lights and posts jutted up towards an inferno-tinted night sky. Bodies were strewn this way and that, their charred remains everywhere, all recognizable features long since burnt away. The flames ruled over all of it, this twisted, hellish land of death and destruction, swirling up and over it in bursts of impossible heat and smoke, flickering tongues that snaked about to taste the air.

And standing off to the side, drinking it all in, was a slightly younger Nereus. He watched, the ends of his long coat billowing back in the smoke, the edges of his blue shield shimmering in the super heated air, his head thrown back as he cackled, the flames dancing in his sapphire eyes. "This is beautiful!" He cried out to everyone and no one at once, his pale hands gesturing to it all. "It took me a year to perfect the chip and insert it, four weeks to break him down and release Vritra... but it was all so very worth it for this! Yes! This is it! This is what paradise is! This is what beauty is! This is it! AHAHAHA! I have done it!"

Really, he was making quite a spectacle. If it weren't for Raz off in the distance batting Psychonauts away like they were flies, he'd probably be quite easily noticed.

But no, people were much more focused on the lithe form floating in the air, nearly motionless even as his torn scarf and clothes swirled around him. He seemed to hang limply in the air, his face expressionless. One would think the boy dead, were it not for the occasional motion he made that resulted in a sudden burst of flame.

The agents that had been sent to investigate the problem were trying to stop him. Really, they were. But the moment anyone got too close, they were incinerated. Even so, they kept fighting, more like lambs coming to a slaughter than anything.

None would survive this unholy night. Or at least that was how it should have been.

"Yes, that's right Razputin, kill them!" Nereus cackled as the boy sent a burst of flame at yet another agent, eliciting a scream of agony from him before he was gone. "None of these traitorous dogs of the government are fit for my empire! Destroy them!"

It was then that a green and pink blur suddenly shot across the flaming landscape with a snarl, a burst of pink energy flaring around it. "I don't know who are you are, but you're gonna--"

The voice was cut off as Raz batted the blur away without even looking.

Nereus smirked as he watched the slender body fly through the air, thudding to the ground near him with a groan, apparently unconscious as opposed to fully dead. "Oh, what a shame. I don't think you quite managed to kill this one," He observed, nudging the agent, whom appeared to be a girl, with his boot. "Why don't you come change that, Razputin?"

Wordlessly, his weapon turned and floated over, green eyes dull and expressionless. That changed, however, when he noticed the brown pigtails that framed her bruised face.

"...Who...?" He gasped out, the word barely passing through his lips.

Nereus' eyes narrowed. "What was that?" He asked, glancing up at the teen.

Raz said nothing.

The blond frowned, then shrugged. He then levitated backwards, his expression of excitement coming back to his face. "Well then? Go on! Destroy her!"

Razputin gazed down at the unconscious girl, whom appeared so incredibly small among the charred, scattered debris. The teen appeared... thoughtful?

"Razputin?"

He didn't understand...why couldn't he attack this girl. What was stopping him? Master had told him to attack... so why couldn't he seem to move? What was it about that face...

"Razputin! Go on, do it! Kill her!"

Something about that face...something...familiar...

"Razputin!"

Slowly, the boy's shaking hand moved upward... but not to attack. It went up to touch his head, his green eyes widening. "What... no... who... wait..." He stuttered, pupils dilating, his entire body shaking as he levitated there above the flaming ruins of the city.

"...Lili?" He finally gasped out. "Li... Lili!? I... what...!?"

"Razputin!" Nereus was suddenly in front of him, sapphire eyes flashing dangerously as they glared into jade. "I gave you an order!" A pale hand swung out to slap the teen across the face, the noise ringing through the air. "Now go on, do as your master commands! Kill her!"

"...No."

"...What did you say?" Nereus gasped.

"No," The word came from Raz's lips easily, jade green eyes flashing with determination. "I'm not killing Lili. You can't make me."

Nereus stumbled back, sapphire eyes wide. "W-what!? Y-you're... Razputin... you're... But... Vritra... you should not even be able to... the chip... No, this is wrong! This is all wrong!" He snarled, his face twitching as shock and rage flitted across it, his hands trembling sporadically at his sides.

"You're right. This_ is_ all wrong. That's why I'm not doing this," Raz snarled, though his face twisted with effort.

The blonde sneered. "You don't have a choice in the matter! All I have to do is raise the frequency on the chip, that's all!"

At these words Raz spasmed and shuddered, his body convulsing violently. However, he shook his head, gritting his teeth. "This... whatever you've done to my head..." The fourteen-year old reached up to grip at his head for a moment, shuddering. "You... you can't control me with this! I won't let you!"

"So what!? Even if I can't control you, you cannot control Vritra's power either! It's too much for you!" Nereus gasped out, though now he was shaking slightly.

Raz forced his arms back to his sides, flashing a pained grin even as his entire body quivered. "Says who?"

"...Says... says I, that's who!" The blond snapped. "Stop this impudence at once, Razputin! You belong to me! You will always belong to me! Stop this instant!"

Raz was silent.

Nereus let a snarl of rage, pulling back his fist, blue energy crackling within. "YOU WILL OBEY ME!" He roared.

However, his attack never reached its intended target, as a gloved hand with orange energy sparking around it caught his wrist and stopped it. Sapphire eyes widened in shock, meeting Raz's furious gaze.

"**No."**

There was a sudden explosion of power that ripped through the entire landscape. What walls that remained intact were knocked aside like twigs, heavy rubble thrown this way and that, a burst of heat and light blasting through what had once been the small town of Ferrowbrooks.

When it all finally cleared, Razputin was the only one who remained. He stood among the rubble, still panting and shaking with the effort it took to remain in control, sweat sliding down his dirt-covered face. "Fine." The teen glanced up at the defeated tone to see Nereus kneeling in the rubble, covered in burns, blood dribbling down his face, his expression one of rage. However, even with this, one could easily see his body was already broken with that one blow. There was no way he could keep going like this, unless he wanted to die.

"I'll leave you be... for now. It's all well and fine... you will not last long with Vritra still in control and my chip in your system anyway," He hissed, weakly getting to his feet. "Perhaps you have regained control for now... but you are on borrowed time, now, do you understand? Now that Vritra has awakened... there is no turning back. Your days are numbered, Razputin. You can run, but not forever."

"Sooner or later, you will be mine... for good. And trust me... next time I will _not_ be making this mistake," Nereus snarled.

Raz just stared at him, panting and shuddering. It was taking all the energy he had just to stand. However, he did managed a bare, minuscule nod.

Nereus sneered at him. "You just wait, Razputin," He hissed, blue energy sparking around him. "You'll pay for this. And when it's all over... you _will _be mine."

With that, he vanished.

The instant he did, Raz's legs gave way. He collapsed to his knees, his entire body shaking. The remains of Ferrowbrooks smoldered around him, smoke billowing into the blood red sky, the smell of charred wood and flesh filling his nose. He sat there for a moment, panting... then he heaved, the contents of his stomach splattering across the ground.

"Oh God... I... I didn't... I couldn't have... all of this... oh God..." He moaned, reaching up to grip at his head. "All those people... and Lili... oh God..." Tufts of reddish brown poked through gloved fingers, jade green eyes wide.

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" He screamed, his voice echoing through the silence. "I... I... No, no, I didn't do this! I didn't! I couldn't! How could I... no, no, NO!" Tears came to his eyes as he knelt among the rubble, clawing at his head.

After a few minutes his screams finally quieted and he was left there, rocking back and forth, blood congealing in his hair. "I... I didn't mean to do it... I... no... no..." He sobbed out brokenly, shoulders shaking. "I didn't... I'm not a murderer, I'm... I'm not... I..." His voice cracked.

"...Please be a dream," He pleaded. "Please... just wake up. Just let me wake up. I'm not... I'm a monster."

"...I'm not..."

His mumbling lapsed into silence as he lay there in the rubble, shivering. He was lost, alone, afraid and confused. What was he? Who was he? Was he really just Raz, a Psychonaut? Or was he...the monster that had did all this? Why? Why had all this happened?

...Why?

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the fourteen-year old slowly stood on shaking legs. "I... I have to get out of here..." He mumbled, his words almost indecipherable. He didn't know why he had to get away. He just knew he had to. Maybe if he got far enough away... maybe if he just got far enough away, he'd wake up. Maybe it wouldn't be real... or maybe he could just forget.

Just forget...

There was no one left to witness the image of an exhausted, confused fourteen-year old boy limping away from the carnage, his broken form silhouetted against the scarlet-tinted rays of the sunrise.

--

"...So... he really was the one at Ferrowbrooks," Sasha murmured.

"Well... those that did survive do not remember the face of the one behind it all, so I suppose it's possible..." Milla trailed off thoughtfully.

"...No... I don't think that's the information we should be taking from this," Lili stated, shaking her head. Upon catching both Sasha and Milla's looks she shook her head again. "Don't you get it? This does more than show us where Raz was during Ferrowbrooks... it also shows us that he's fought this damn thing before!"

Milla blinked, a look of realization coming to her face. "And if he's fought this before..."

"Razputin can do it again," Sasha finished.

Lili nodded. "Exactly. Now then... Raz, do you want to keep looking?" She asked as she glanced around for the boy.

No answer.

The brunette's brow furrowed. "Raz?" She called again.

"Razputin?" Sasha frowned as he called for the boy as well, looking this way and that for him.

"Razputin? Darling, where are you!?" Milla called, a note of worry in her voice.

They received no answer. Little Raz was gone.

"Oh dear... I hope he's alright," Milla murmured.

Sasha rolled his eyes. "He's a mental entity, Milla. I am sure he is fine."

"Yeah, he probably just wandered off somewhere, that's all." Lili shrugged. "Anyway... where do we go from here?" She glanced around again, brow furrowing. She paused, however, as her gaze fell upon a great, double-gated silver door. "...Was that there before?" She blinked, brow furrowing.

"I'm... not sure..." Milla said, brow furrowing as she gazed up at it. "'_Cursum Perficio_...'" She read aloud from the inscription at the top of the door.

"'I finish the course...'" Sasha mouthed, stepping up to the door. "...This was the door that we found in his mind a few weeks ago." He gazed up at the shimmering entryway for a moment, then chuckled. "It seems so long ago now... Razputin never was good with Latin."

Milla smiled at this for a moment, then looked back to the door. "Did you ever find out where the door led?"

Sasha shook his head. "I do not know. He said it was closed when he found it... and when he tried to open it he said he felt as if he should not... and then he was kicked out. We never got the chance to try again."

"Well... it's open now," Lili observed. Indeed it was. The two shimmering gates were spread wide open, welcoming them with a heavy, ominous air. What lay beyond it, none of them knew. All they knew was that this door... really should never have been opened. Whatever lay beyond it, it was powerful.

"...Shall we?" Sasha finally asked. His companions nodded, and together they stepped through the door.

The instant they did, they were assaulted by a wave of searing heat as a blast of flame missed them by mere inches. The room was an inferno, seemingly enveloped in hellfire, the entire area lit with a ruddy reddish-orange glow. In truth, however, the flames came not from the area itself, but from the beast within it.

It was a great dragon, hundreds of feet long, a seemingly never-ending serpent of flame. Thin, torn wings flapped in the air, a terrible roar shaking the entire room. The three stopped at the door's threshold, three sets of eyes widening.

"RAZ!" Lili shrieked.

There he was. His slim form was covered in gashes, bruises, and burns, his clothes a tattered mess. His body heaved with the effort it took to breathe, his utter exhaustion apparent. Reddish brown hair, clumped together with sweat and blood, was matted upon a sweat-soaked forehead, green eyes speaking of terrified desperation. The instant Lili cried out, however, his attention turned from the beast he'd been facing to his friends, a look of shock coming to his face.

"Lili!?"

Taking his eyes off of the dragon proved to be an incredibly bad move. The dragon let out another roar, its many rows of deadly teeth pulled back into a snarl as it charged. Raz spun around, eyes widening as he saw it coming. He then ducked out of the way, only just barely avoiding the flaming talons of the beast. "What are you guys doing here!?" The teen demanded over the roar of the flames, sweat pouring down his face.

"What do you think, darling! We came to help you, of course!" Milla exclaimed.

"Yeah, what the hell are you doing!?" Lili demanded.

"What does it look like I'm doing!? I'm trying to stay alive!" Raz grunted as he dodged another blow, his grunt becoming one of pain as this time the flaming swipe grazed his leg.

"Is that thing Vritra!?" Milla asked, looking frantically to Sasha.

The German Psychonaut shook his head, sweat beading on his forehead. "I don't know."

"Hell if I know!" Raz cried. "All I know is it's big, it's mean, and it wants me de-- AUGH!" He was cut off by a yelp of pain as the beasts claws finally caught him in the chest, sending the teen flying across the room to slam into the nearest wall. He slid to the ground with a groan, leaving a smear of crimson in his wake. "Okay... let's try this again," He muttered, stumbling to his feet once more and facing the beast.

Instantly, flames flared to life in his palms, though not nearly as bright as the ones the beast seemed to be forged from. Compared to it, in fact, they seemed more like two little candle flames put up against a burning sun... but Raz didn't have strength to make much more. With a cry Razputin launched himself towards the beast, swinging his psychic fists at it... only to be batted away with ease. Once again the teen slid to the floor, coughing up a mouthful of blood as he did so.

"Raz!" Lili yelped, making as if to run and help him... but Sasha placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"You mean to tell me all this time you've been fighting _fire with fire_!?" The German man exclaimed.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Raz grunted out as he forced himself to his feet again.

"...I think it's time someone gave you a crash course in Aquakinesis," Sasha stated.

"What!?" Raz sputtered, gaping at the German man. "Are you crazy!? You know damn well water and I don't mix, Sash-GAH!" He yelped, narrowly dodging another flaming swipe of the beast's claws.

"No, Razputin, I assure you, in spite of what many have claimed, I am in no way crazy," Sasha drawled. "And you know I am right. You can't beat fire with more fire! What you need is _water_!"

Raz snorted. "Nice job, Einstein. Do you see any water here!? No!? I DIDN'T THINK SO!" He snapped.

Sasha scowled. "It's YOUR MIND, Razputin! You are the one who is in control here! If you want there to be water, there will be water!" He yelled back.

"Like hell there will be! Look Sasha, I know what you think about this whole thing! You think I'm just making it up, but I'm not! Water and I-- AHHHHHHHHH!" The teen let out a pained cry as the beast's tail suddenly sent him flying across the room.

"Your phobia has nothing to do with this, Razputin! Regardless of whether your curse is real or not, the fact remains that THIS IS YOUR MIND!" Sasha cried. "If you will things to be different, they will be! If you want there to be water to put out the fire, there will be! But in order for that to happen, you have to TRY!"

Raz got to his feet once more, panting for breath and shaking. His green eyes met Sasha's for a moment, wide and terrified in spite of the defiant, proud note that had been in his voice. "...I... Sasha, I—AUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" He let out a scream of agony as the beast slammed into him once again, claws tearing into his stomach, blood evaporating the instant it touched the roaring inferno that made up Vritra.

"Razputin!" Milla cried out, making as if to run and help.. only to be stopped by Sasha, just as Lili had. "Sasha, get out of the way!" She shrieked, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah Sasha, MOVE!" Lili cried. "We have to help him!"

Sasha shook his head, gritting his teeth. "You cannot help him. Neither of you can. Anything you tried... it would be useless against this."

Lili looked from the agonized, exhausted Raz to Sasha, her expression one of horror. She just couldn't stand to see her boyfriend like this. "But--"

The German Psychonaut shook his head again. "This is Razputin's demon. This is his fight. There is nothing you can do... it's up to him," He stated, although his voice was wavering slightly. He wanted to help. He really did. The part of him that he always tried to ignore, the irrational part, the emotional part said he had to go help, he had to, because he simply could not let that child die... but the rational part, the side with numbers and logic said no.

There was nothing he could do.

He looked back to the battle once more, only to see that Raz had managed to get the claws out of his stomach. The teen's gloved hands were now locked with Vritra's claws, his skin sizzling and blistering the longer he held on, his arms shaking from the effort it took to keep the few inches he had between the beast's jaws and his face. However, even as he fought, one could tell from his expression that Raz was exhausted. He was too tired and in too much pain to keep fighting much longer.

He was losing.

"Razputin!" Sasha called out. "Take control! You can do this! Just take control and you can conquer this!"

Raz grit his teeth as he struggled against the beast, his arms shuddering as he was pushed back a few more inches, his face slick with sweat as he panted for breath. He looked from the dragon's jaws above him to his friends at the side... and then he shook his head.

"...I can't., He whispered.

"...What!?" Lili cried.

"I... I can't do it. I can't keep doing this!" Raz shouted. "I just... no more! I'm sick of this! I'm ready to quit! I'm done! I... I can't beat it! I can't!" He felt his arms give a bit more, the heat from the snapping jaws above him becoming all the more intense as they drew even closer.

"I CAN'T!"

His friends gaped at him, each shocked that those words had left Raz's mouth.

"...Get out of here. Please," The teen pleaded, wincing as he felt his arms give even more. "I... I don't want it to get you too. Just... just go. Leave.

All was silent for a moment, save for the constant growl of Vritra. Finally, Lili spoke.

"Like HELL." She snarled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, face livid. "I came all the way here to save you, I am not going to just turn around and walk away!"

"Agreed!" Milla snapped, her mouth pressed into a thin line.

"But...guys...please, I c-"

"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, RAZPUTIN AQUATO!" Lili screamed. Raz did just that. "What the HELL is wrong with you!? What do you mean you _can't!_? Since when does the Raz I know say that!?"

Raz winced. "Lili, I'm not--"

"SHUT UP!" Lili snarled. "Listen here, you asshole! I don't ever want to hear you say that again, and so help me, if you do, I'll burn your ass! YOU HEAR ME!?"

The teen bit his lip. "But... I—AH!" He winced as the flames came even closer.

"She's right, sweetie! Don't you ever say that again!" Milla snapped. "You're no quitter! We know you can beat this thing!"

"That's right, Razputin! And you know it as well!" Sasha cried.

Raz gaped at them from where he lay, pinned down by the demon, his entire body throbbing in agony, his energy spent, his hands practically burnt to a crisp. "...Guys--"

He was cut off as quite suddenly the beast above him threw back its head and gave an impossible, earth shaking roar, glowing eyes livid. It then suddenly lost its form, merely spreading out into flames in all directions, enveloping the entire room in a sea of fire.

It couldn't have those new people helping the prey. So it would just have to kill them all in one fell swoop.

Raz's eyes widened. "GUYS!" He cried out as the flames enveloped them all. He brought up his arms to shield himself against the fire, wincing as it seared against his back. The fire was all he could see now, a raging inferno of scarlet and gold. "GUYS!" He coughed out again.

"Razputin!

"Milla!?" The teen cried out, his eyes wide and frantic.

"Razputin! Come on darling, you can beat this thing! Don't let it control you!"

"But... I... Milla!"

"Razputin, you can do this! You can fight it! This is your mind, Razputin, no one else's! It is yours to control, not your demons! FIGHT IT!" Sasha called out.

"S-Sasha!? SASHA!" Raz cried out, trying desperately to beat the flames away to see where the voice was coming from. But no, they were too high! He couldn't see anything, he couldn't do anything!

"Raz!?"

The teen's eyes widened. "Lili!?"

"Raz! Raz, come on, what are you waiting for!?"

"I... I'm not waiting for anything! I just can't get to you guys!" Raz coughed out.

"Sure you can, you idiot! You can beat this thing, come on! I know you can!"

"But..." Raz shook his head. "Lili, it's huge! I can't!"

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT SAYING THAT!?" Lili snarled.

"I... LILI!" Raz cried, sounding scared and desperate.

"Raz, you moron! You can do this! IT'S YOUR MIND, YOU IDIOT! DON'T GIVE UP! FIGHT THIS THING! DO IT!"

"But... LILI!" Raz cried again.

No answer.

"...Lili!?" The teen called again, his eyes wide. "Milla!? Sasha!? Lili!? LILI!?" Raz stumbled back in the flames, reaching up to clutch at his head. "No... no... this has to stop! This has to stop! I can't... no, Lili! No more! This is my mind, damnit! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of it! Damnit, you can hurt me, but leave my friends alone! Sasha! Milla! Lili! LEAVE THEM ALONE!"

"**LILI!"**

Everything stopped. The sea of flames just stopped, freezing as if it were all a picture. Then a great crack appeared upon the surface, breaking diagonally across the entire thing, splintering.

And then it shattered.

The sea of flames shattered into thousands of pieces of crimson and orange glass, leaving a simple, plain black room behind. Raz floated at the center of it, clinging to Lili for dear life, his chest shuddering as he panted for breath, the pieces of shattered glass hanging in the air around him. The teen hardly seemed to notice as he hung there, his burnt fingers twined within her silky hair, his eyes squeezed shut. He took in a shaky breath, breathing in her scent.

"...Lili."

Lili floated there, her amber eyes wide as he clung to her. Then she wrapped her arms around him in turn, grabbing fistfuls of his torn sweater, her eyes squeezing shut to prevent the tears that were welling up within them from falling.

"...Raz."

With that single word the glass seemed to give an almost musical sound, like the tinkling of a thousand bells. It swirled around the two before vanishing into Raz, a hint of an orange glow coming from the teen for a moment. He took another deep breath, then let out a sigh.

"Thank you."

The two dropped to the ground, the entire area around them beginning to fade away as they did so. Lili glanced around at the flickering darkness. "What's going on?"

"I... think it's time for us to go." Milla murmured, a small smile coming to her face as she gazed at the two of them.

"Indeed." Sasha agreed.

"Hey!" A small voice was suddenly heard echoing in the dark. The three psychic's looked up... only to see little Raz standing there beaming.

"You found it!" He exclaimed, pointing at the regular version of Raz. His large green eyes were wide, the sleeve of his dirty green sweater almost enveloping his tiny hand as he jumped up and down. "You found what I lost!"

Lili blinked, then looked to Raz, whom was now unconscious. She then looked back to the younger version. "Yeah. I guess we did."

Little Raz blinked at her for a moment. Then he smiled shyly, putting his hands behind his back. "You can keep it, if you want. I just wanted to make sure it was okay, that's all."

The brunette quirked an eyebrow. "Really then?" She smiled. "Alright, I will. We'll all take good care of him, I promise."

Little Raz beamed again. "Good! Thanks for helping me!" He said, waving enthusiastically. The Psychonauts all chuckled and waved back.

And then, much like when one tosses a pebble into a lake, the image of little Raz wavered and was gone.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Every time someone reads this chapter and doesn't review, a kitten is born with no legs. Please. Think of the kittens._


	17. Even If I Were To Stop Being Me

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Seventeen: Even If I Were To Stop Being Me**

**--**

_Annnd another chapter. Oh God, this one was bad. This was probably the most editing I had to do. Raz was terribly, horribly, ridiculously out of character in this part and it hurt my brain a bit to reread it. It was as if I had taken Raz and replaced him with caps-lock-of-RAGE!Harry Potter from The Order of the Phoenix. Yeah, ow. It didn't help that the dialogue was honestly pretty well written, it flowed nicely. Buuut it was horribly out of character so it had to go. I know you're thrilled._

_So yeah, um... this is still pretty angsty, but hopefully I've made it a bit better. I hope you enjoy it anyway!_

_Suggested listening music is _Shounen no Hi _from _Gankutsuou (Track 14), Trust Me _by_ The Fray (Track 15) _and_ Look After You _by_ The Fray_ for the scene with Raz and Lili. After that... well, the ending obviously requires some good old fashioned_ Psychonauts Theme (Track 17).

--

"It's been three days."

Sasha didn't bother to look up from the print-outs he had spread out before him. "I'm aware," He drawled as he took a sip of his coffee, brow furrowed in thought.

Milla sighed from across the table, her gloved hands tense around the glass of V8 she'd been sipping. "I knew Razputin was in bad shape, but I thought for sure he would at least have opened his eyes by now..." She murmured, worry etched upon her beautiful face.

"Eh, he'll wake up eventually. That kid's a trooper," Oleander stated confidently as he glanced over the cards in his hand. "Alright Ford, you got any three's?"

"Nope!" Ford shook his head. Oleander rolled his eyes and grumbled as he picked a card from the stack. The instant he did so the old man grinned. "Hey Morry, you got any queens?"

"What!?" Oleander sputtered. "I just asked for that two turns ago!"

"I know." Ford said, his grin widening, the edges of his gray hair illuminated by the glowing chunk of psitanium strapped to his back.

The midget marine scowled, slamming his cards down on the table. "Goddamnit, old man! That's cheating!"

Ford snorted. "It is not, I got a queen last turn! You're just sore 'cause I'm kicking your sorry ass."

"You are not!" Oleander snapped. "Ten games in a row doesn't mean ANYTHING!"

Lili let out a sigh and ran her finger along the thumbpad of her iPod, turning up her music in an attempt to drown out the voices of her former counselors. She then sunk farther down into the couch, her amber eyes going back to the dark gray door across the room, so stark a contrast to the plain white walls of the hotel suite they had chosen to stay in.

After coming out of Raz's mind, the teen had collapsed, unconscious. While the first suggestion had been to take him back to Whispering Rock, the idea was quickly turned down. After all, with the current situation, it probably wasn't the best idea to take the boy to one of the first places the agency was likely to check in on. Thus, instead of heading back to the camp, the group had decided to rent out a hotel and stay there until Raz recovered and they could work out what exactly they were supposed to do now.

Well, it had been a wonderful plan, really...except Raz didn't seem to be waking up.

The brunette bit her lip as she scrolled through her songs, trying her best to keep her mind off of that door and who lay beyond it. However, it seemed the harder she tried, the more her mind went back to it... the memory of Raz collapsing in her arms, soaked in blood and sweat, covered in gashes and bruises that had remained unhealed and untreated. The image of him laid out in that other room, his tanned skin so stark in contrast to the perfect white hotel sheets, looking so goddamn weak and frail and nothing like at all like Raz... it hurt to think about.

And yet, as hard as she tried... she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Ha! That's the last pair, and I win again!" Ford declared triumphantly, slapping down a pair of fives.

"What!? Damnit, that's it, you have to be cheating somehow!" Oleander exclaimed as he shoved his single measly pair away from himself.

Ford snickered. "I told you, I'm not! You're just terrible at cards, Morry." He chuckled as he gathered up the cards.

"I am not!" Oleander scowled. "And even if I was, eleven games with over half the deck is just... GARGH!"

Sasha sighed. "Morry, please. I'm trying to think," He admonished.

"I'm telling you, it's unnatural, Nein!" Oleander exclaimed.

The German Psychonaut quirked at brow at him from over the crisp white printouts. "While I'll admit the odds are rather slim for such a record, the fact remains that you _are _simply terrible at cards, Morry."

"I am not!" Oleander protested loudly.

Now it was Milla's turn to sigh. "Morry, please, try to keep it down," She said, pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to ward off a growing headache.

Oleander's attention shifted to her. "What do you think, Milla?"

"What?" Milla blinked as she allowed her hand to fall back to the tabletop.

"Of my card playing, woman!"

"What... I..." The Brazillian shook her head, her shimmering earrings swinging from side to side with the motion. "Oh, I don't know,... you aren't exactly the best at it, darling. There's a reason no one invites you to Poker Night anymore."

"Ha, I knew it!" Oleander snapped. "You're all conspiring against me!"

Sasha rolled his eyes. "No we're not, Morry. You're being overly dramatic."

"Sasha's right, Morry. Come now, quiet down," Milla said gently.

Oleander's brow furrowed. "But--"

"Razputin is _sleeping_, Morry," Milla hissed, her fingers tightening dangerously around her drink. "I know you're tense, but so is everyone else. Arguing over card games isn't going to help anyone, so either sit down and lose another round or find something else quiet to do."

There was a pause. Then Oleander coughed. "Right... sorry, couldn't help it., He muttered, scratching his head. "Here, hit me again, Ford."

Ford sighed. "Alright, let's watch me beat your sorry ass again," He said, dealing out the cards for what felt like the millionth time.

"Watch it, old man."

A silence fell over the room, filled only with the sounds of Sasha flipping through his papers, the clinking of Milla's glass, and Ford and Oleander's card game. It wouldn't have been that bad, normally... however, despite the outward appearance of peace, the heavy weight of tension remained looming over the group. Nereus was still out there, Razputin was unconscious... and there was nothing they could do but wait and hope the teen would wake up.

Assuming he ever woke up.

After several minutes of silence Lili let out a frustrated sigh, getting to her feet. "Alright, that's it," She muttered, tugging the earbuds from her ears and slamming her iPod down on the table. She then got up and made her way towards the door.

"Ah... wait, where are you going, darling?" Milla asked, making as if to rise from her seat.

"Out. Going for a walk," Lili stated as she pulled open the door. "I've got a keycard. Don't follow me."

With that, she was gone.

Once again, the silence fell over the room, heavy and oppressive. It was broken, however, when Milla let out a sigh and rose from her seat. "I'll... go check on Razputin. See if there's any improvement." She stated, brushing past Sasha and making her way towards one of the rooms. There were two rooms, each with a single double bed. The girls had taken one and the boys had taken to sleeping on the couch and the hideaway bed in the central room. The remaining room had been left for Raz and Raz alone.

Not that it mattered, since really, none of them could sleep.

Milla pushed open the door to Raz's room without a word, then peeked her head in, expecting to see the teen laying perfectly still as she had seen him an hour ago. And indeed, she did find the room to be just as silent as it had been the last time she had looked in, with not a sound to disturb the almost uneasy peace of it.

However, unlike last time, the bed was empty.

The Brazilian woman paused at the door, green eyes widening as she stared at the hotel bed, the white blankets tossled and thrown back haphazardly, the pillows malformed and scattered across the mattress. The light of a gray sky filtered in through the partially opened window, the curtains billowing in a breeze that spoke of coming rain.

"...Razputin?" Milla gasped.

She received no answer save for the wind.

"Razputin?" Milla repeated, a note of panic in her voice as she stepped into the room, glancing towards the window. No, it wasn't opened enough for him to have climbed out... besides, the screen was in place and they were on the second story, he couldn't have...

"Milla?" Ford called from the other room. "Is something wrong?"

Milla swallowed as she glanced around, her heart racing. "I... Razputin--" It was then that she suddenly fell silent as she caught the sound of the shower running from the closed bathroom door. The Brazilian blinked in confusion, then glanced out the door... no, the others were all still in there, so who...?

The dark-haired woman let out a sigh of relief, clutching at her chest for a moment. She then walked over to the window, forcing it closed. After this she collapsed onto the messy bed, covering her face with her hands. "Oh... thank God..." She murmured, letting out a shaky breath.

It was then that Ford poked his head through the door, a frown upon his wrinkled face. "Milla? What's wrong?"

Milla glanced over to him, then gave a shaky laugh. "Oh... nothing, it's just... Razputin... he's finally awake, that's all."

_'He's awake... but is he okay?'_

--

The water was hot.

No, hot wasn't really the appropriate term. It was scalding, raining down upon his head and nearly burning his scalp, running through spikes of reddish brown before coming together and sliding across his skin in rivers of soothing heat. It trickled down over his shoulders, clinging in droplets to muscles that gave mere whispers of the power held within his lean frame. It temporarily pooled in healing gashes and beat at tender bruises, drawing forth splinters of pain that went ignored as the liquid ran across it all before swirling down the drain without a trace.

Raz leaned against the back wall of the hotel shower, his head thrown back, jade green eyes gazing up sightlessly at the ceiling as the scalding water poured down upon him. He really didn't know how long he had been in there...and really, he didn't care.

When he had first woken up, really... the thought of 'where am I?' didn't even cross his mind. He just... was there. It was as if his body acted on its own, forcing his still-aching muscles to move and making their way to the bathroom, closing the door behind him quietly. Now, however, with the water rushing over him his mind was springing to life, picking through memories and truly not enjoying what it had found.

It was all coming back in flashes of color and sound. The image of flames leaping up as if to consume the sky, people screaming, hurting, dying. Nereus laughing as power flowed through his veins like liquid steel, his own hands betraying him, crushing and destroying all within their reach in an instant. It was terrible, a mural of horrific memories ripped from the worst of his nightmares... and yet somehow worse, as these memories were real. Far too real, and with only one terrible, harsh thing to draw from it all.

He was a murderer.

There was no denying it. He had killed... God only knew how many. Millions. He had annihilated entire cities with the flick of a wrist, wiped away so many lives without batting an eyelash. The blood on his hands... it didn't matter how long he sat there under that spray, didn't matter how much he scrubbed. It wasn't going to wash away, not now, not ever.

There was no fixing this mess. Ironic, how back there in that cave, Nereus had said they weren't so different... he hadn't been right, but he wasn't entirely wrong either.

Raz was worse than him. At least Nereus, for all of his ramblings, didn't lie to himself.

It was only when the stream of water from the shower head finally dwindled from lukewarm to ice cold that the teen finally snapped to some sort of attention. Raz blinked up blearily at the device for a moment, then reached out to twist the knobs and turn the water off. The pipes made a few squeaking noises as the water stopped flowing, the final frigid droplets dripping to the shower floor before vanishing down the drain.

Raz stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the hotel towels from the rack, his wet feet pattering across the bathroom floor as he dried himself off, trying to ignore the pain that went with the movement. He finally paused before the sink, leaning against it and ruffling the towel every which way over his head in an attempt to get some of the water out of his hair. After about a minute of this the teen let the towel drop to the floor, finally allowing his gaze to meet the jade green eyes in the mirror.

Same cuts and bruises. Same stubble. Same exhausted face... yet somehow entirely different. It was likely the eyes.. those haunted eyes that just didn't look right on the face of a seventeen-year old kid. The teen let out a shaky breath and shook his head, leaning over the sink to splash some come water onto his face, then dry off.

When he looked back in the mirror he saw sapphire instead of jade.

"_I told you so, didn't I, Razputin?"_ Nereus hissed from the other side of the glass, strands of silvery blond falling in front of those frigid eyes, a terrible grin playing across his face. _"I told you so, and you denied it... but it all ended up the same in the end, didn't it?"_

Jade green eyes widened. "GAH!" Raz stumbled away from the sink so fast one would think the porcelain countertop had burned him, flinging his towel at the mirror. The damp white cloth hid the Galochio's visage from view, though a single word remained ringing in Raz's ears.

"_Murderer."_

When the towel fell away, Nereus' face was gone, replaced by Raz's once more. The teen stood staring at the glass, both he and his mirror image panting for breath. After a few seconds Raz let out a sigh, running a hand through his damp hair before letting it drop to his side. He then turned away from the mirror and went about pulling his clothes on in silence, making a point of avoiding looking at his reflection again.

Regardless of which face he saw... they were both monsters.

--

A few minutes later, Raz finally emerged into the central room of the suite to find four sets of eyes fixed upon him. The teen paused at the doorway, blinking. He was clad in the same clothes he'd been sleeping in, just a white t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. He was unshaven and his hair was still a bit damp from the shower he had taken, though he had at least bothered to redo most of his bandages. A silence fell over the room.

"So... feeling any better now that you're finished commandeering the bathroom?" Ford finally spoke up.

Raz blinked again, then averted his eyes to the floor and scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry," He muttered.

"Why are you apologizing?" Ford snorted, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "I think we're all just glad you finally showered." He added, the edges of his eyes crinkling.

"No kidding," Morry snorted. "Sheesh, kid, you smelled worse than an entire army after a week in the field."

"Oh, he did not. Both of you stop teasing him," Milla admonished. She then looked to Razputin and flashed a smile. "Don't worry about them, darling. We're all just happy to see you're finally awake."

Sasha just nodded at Raz, though his face remained expressionless as he studied the teen from behind his sunglasses. It almost seemed as if he was waiting for something.

After a few more seconds of silence, Milla stood and made her way towards the kitchenette. "Well, do you want anything to eat, darling?" She asked as she began opened various cabinets and looking through them. "I'm sure you're hungry, you've been asleep for three days. How about I make some soup? Or would you rather I call room service? And I'm sure you probably want coffee too... ayiyiyi, you're just like Sasha..."

Raz didn't reply, his eyes remained fixed on the floor, studying the odd swirl of colors that made up the stubby hotel carpeting.

Milla's brow furrowed, concern flitting across her face. "Razputin?" She prodded gently.

"...Why?" Raz asked quietly.

The dark-haired woman frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just..." Raz shook his head. "I didn't expect this."

Ford frowned. "Well, what did you expect, Razputin?" He asked, quirking a brow at the teen.

"I..." The teen shook his head again. "I don't know... to be yelled at or... or something."

The elderly man watched him for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, what you just said isn't right and you know it. This is exactly what you expected, because you know no matter what happens... it doesn't change anything. You knew that regardless of what's happened over the past few weeks, we were still gonna welcome you back."

Raz bit his lip. "But I..."

"Darling, relax," Milla interrupted gently. . "It doesn't matter to us what's happened. Regardless of how long it's been, how much you grow, what you go through, what you do, whatever... to us you're always going to be Razputin, that little boy who showed up at camp and drove us all crazy and saved us all and wormed his way into all our hearts whether we liked it or not. Nothing can change that."

Raz stared at her for a moment. "But... Milla... don't you see? I'm not that kid you knew. I'm not ten years old anymore, Milla. I'm not a Psychonaut anymore. I... I've killed people, didn't you all see? I'm not that kid you all knew... I'm a _murderer_." He felt his throat constrict as the words came out, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as the memories flashed before his eyes again.

The room was silent for a few moments. Then Ford simply shrugged. "It wasn't you, so who cares? We all know the situation. You were never at fault."

"But... how am I not at fault?" Raz breathed. "You saw me... it was me, I did those things."

"It was Vritra. Everyone understands that," Milla said simply.

Raz gave a small, sad laugh at that. "Because it sounds so much better when you put it that way. 'Hey, this is Raz, he's a Psychonaut and he nearly destroyed the world, but that's okay because it was the hellfire spitting demon in his head that did it, not him!' Yeah, that sounds like a great excuse! It doesn't change the fact that it was my hands that did it!" He began to pace, running tanned fingers through his hair. "And even if we could place the blame on Vritra... doesn't that just make things worse? Who knows how little it would take to let the thing loose? You all saw the results of that! I can't risk that happening again... and there's no way to stop it..." Raz trailed off, biting his lip as he allowed his arms to drop to his side.

"Don't you see? ...I'm dangerous, guys."

"Really? What if I told you Vritra was never real?" Sasha finally spoke.

There was a silence.

"...What?" Milla gasped.

"What the hell are you babbling about, Nein?" Oleander demanded.

Raz let out a sigh of frustration. Normally, he was willing to put up with Sasha's skepticism, but he was simply not in the mood. "Sasha, come on! I know you're skeptical, but you saw what happened! You were there! You saw me lose control to that... that thing!"

"Correction, we saw you using a massive, unheard of amount of power under Nereus' influence. We saw no demon," Sasha stated.

Milla sighed. "Come now, Sasha darling--"

"Just hear me out, Milla," Sasha said, holding up his hand. Once he was sure no one was going to yell at him for being a skeptic, the German continued. "Now listen, I have done quite a bit of studying and researching over this entire matter ever since this all started... and I think I have it all figured out. Now then, it is indeed true that looking back through Razputin's family line, there are records of the phenomenal power and sudden shift in personality and motives that Raphael spoke of. With these sudden changes, it does indeed seem that an entirely different persona has overtaken the body... and in a way, this is somewhat true." Sasha glanced over at Milla. "You remember the memory reel we saw, correct? The one in which Desya Aquato and Adrian Galochio entered that cave?"

Milla's brow furrowed. "You mean the one where Desya was possessed?"

"Yes, that's the one. Do you remember the stone in the cave?" Sasha asked.

"Yes..."

'Wait," Raz spoke up, his brow furrowing. "You've been looking into my family history without me?"

"It seemed like a good idea, Razputin, and I believe after hearing me out you will agree," Sasha stated, brushing a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. "Now listen. Two hundred years ago, the Galochios and Aquatos were friends. Your ancestor, Desya Aquato, was best friends with Adrian Galochio and the two had a partnership in the circus. One day the two of them explored a cave and found a stone... supposedly this is where Vritra had been contained, and in order to escape it possessed your ancestor and started this little war. However, the truth is, there was no demon contained in that stone."

He fell silent for a moment, and finding Raz wasn't going to interrupt him, the German took this as his cue to continue. "I did some research, and I believe that that stone was in fact, a very large piece of psitanium. It was used in various ancient rituals in all sorts of civilizations... it's been all over the world. And it was into that stone that people's feelings, both negative and positive, were concentrated into... including psychics. Thus, over time it became this storehouse of people's hatred, their anger, their sorrow, their joy, their kindness... everything. Eventually even the ancients started noticing the power contained in the mineral, and thus, they tried to hide it away somewhere. Most people had the sense to stay away from it... but then your ancestor showed up and made the mistake of touching it. Thus, a good portion of the stone's energy was absorbed into Desya... and it ended up being mostly pure, malevolent psychic energy. It became too much for him and Desya was overpowered by it... so much that he began to act like a completely different person."

"So basically, Vritra's just one big psi-blast on steroids?" Ford asked.

Sasha's scowled. "That's terrible explanation, but if you want to get technical, yes."

Milla frowned thoughtfully. "But if that's the case... how does Razputin have all that power, then?"

Sasha shrugged as he took a sip of his coffee. "I believe the power was so strong it imprinted itself onto a few of the Aquato genes. It just happens that Razputin received right combination to activate it... not a demon, merely a surge of malevolent psychic power. As for the curse... well, it is true, there is a strange psychic signature imprinted on his genes... some sort of aggressive energy left by the Galochios, I imagine. In reality, however, all it causes is his psychic powers go awry should he react fearfully when in water. Thus, it's his own aquakinesis dragging him under. It's not any sort of curse, just a very acute, strange level of hydrophobia."

"...So... the curse isn't real? And I'm not a vessel for some kind of demon?" Raz said quietly, his eyes wide.

Sasha shook his head.

"But... no, that can't be right." The teen shook his head violently. "I.. I know you're just trying to help Sasha, but you're wrong! I heard the thing in my head! It was whispering to me, it was saying things, it--"

"Are you so sure it was the demon's voice you heard? Or could it be that it was Nereus instead?" Sasha interrupted him, quirking an eyebrow.

Raz paused, blinking. "...I..." His eyes widened, realization dawning. "No... you're right... the whole time it was Nereus' voice in the dreams, there was never..." He trailed off into silence for a moment, feeling his heart sink. "...So... there's your proof, then. I really am a murderer."

Sasha sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward off an oncoming headache. "No, Razputin, that's not what I'm saying."

"Yes it is!" Raz cried, his hands clenching into fists once more. "Don't you see? I... if Vritra wasn't real, then that means I was the one who caused all this crap! I was the one who killed all those people! I'm dangerous and I need to get out of here! I--"

"Need to stop throwing your childish tantrum for just a moment and listen," Sasha said sternly, cutting Raz off.

Raz fell silent, his shoulders shaking as he bit his lip in an attempt to keep the words back that he so desperately wanted to scream out. He wanted so desperately to do nothing more than yell, to cry, to sob about all the horrible things that he had done and make them see, make them understand... but no, whining wouldn't help here, as much as he wanted to. He would wait and see what Sasha had to say.

The German nodded, glad to see Raz was willing to listen. "Good. Now then, when I said Vritra did not exist, I did not bring it up as a mark against you. We all understand who was at fault here, and it was not you, it was Nereus. Even without him, to have such an insane amount of power inside you, it is no wonder your entire family has been unable to control it for generations. However... as difficult as it was, you were capable of doing it. You did it at Ferrowbrooks, and you did it once again as well. Deny it all you want, the fact that you are capable of standing here now is proof enough."

"But... so what!? It doesn't change what I did!" Raz exclaimed, gesturingly wildly. "I let the thing--"

"You let it take control, Razputin! Yes, we know," Sasha said exasperatedly, cutting him once more. "We know. And none of us are surprised. To have the kind of power you have in your body... Razputin, the average human being wouldn't be able to stand it. To weaken against it and to be unable to reign it in, to mess up... that is human, Razputin. There is nothing wrong with that. However, to actually be able to overcome this weakness... Razputin, that is phenomenal. You have done what no one else in your family has been able to do... you were finally able to take control."

Sasha paused for a moment to take another sip of his coffee, never once breaking eye contact with the boy. "Do you understand what I am saying?" He asked. When Raz didn't answer, he continued. "Razputin... there is no monster controlling your actions. There is no ancient gypsy curse, no great, impossible battle dictated by the stars, there isn't anything. The fact that you were able to overcome all this proves one thing, and that is that there is nothing that can tell you what you can and cannot do anymore. Your family's past generations for all these years have believed this entire war to be an endless cycle created by fate, and that there was no way to end it all and no way to fix it, that it was just doomed to go on forever and ever, but you have proven otherwise." He peered over the rims of his glasses at Raz as he spoke, eyes of stormy gray meeting jade green.

"You are in control of your own fate, Razputin. You are free."

There was silence for a moment. Raz took a shuddering breath, his eyes wide. "I'm... free?"

Sasha nodded. "If you wish to be, Razputin... you are free."

Raz stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "That's not true, Sasha. I'm not free. Don't you see? There's always going to be that risk that I'll lose control again. There will always be that worry. You all look at me like you trust me... but don't you see? I'm always going to be a danger to you all." He felt a lump forming in his throat as he spoke, felt his eyes begin to burn. "And after everything I've done... no one's going to forgive me. They'll always see me exactly as I am... a murderer. The Psychonauts aren't going to take me back, my circus won't... I don't have anywhere to go anymore!" The teen shook his head as he squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears.

"That's not true, sweetie," Milla's voice filled his ears and boy flinched as he felt soft hands gently touch his face. "Don't you see? We're still here, aren't we? We don't care about this entire mess you've made, it doesn't matter. You may have messed up, but we're still here and we always will be. As for your circus... Razputin, do you really think your father won't forgive you for this? Silly boy, of course he will. You have nothing to worry about."

Jade green eyes opened to gaze back at her and Raz reached up to remove her hands. He stepped back and shook his head, taking a shuddering breath. "But... the agency--"

"Oh, phooey about the agency!" Ford huffed, waving his hand. "Who cares about them? We'll deal with 'em when the time comes," He said. "Besides... they took Morry back after his little stint, didn't they?"

Raz winced. "Well, no, but the Coach was--"

"Hardly any different from you," Oleander interrupted. "Look... kid, if anyone should know what you're going through, it's me. I mean, if it weren't for you..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "After all that... I wasn't so sure what I could do. I really wanted to give up... but I didn't. I couldn't leave you to fix all my mess, now could I? So I got up, pulled myself together... and I let it go. And well... now, here we are." He shrugged.

"...But..." Raz bit his lip. "You guys..."

"Face it, Razputin, you're all out of arguments." Ford stated. "So you lost control? You're young, you make mistakes... so what? We don't care. We've already let it go. What you need to do is let it go and forgive yourself, son."

Silence.

"...Forgive myself," Raz repeated quietly. "...Who is that though, I wonder?" With that, he turned and made his way towards the door.

Milla frowned. "Razputin--"

"I'm going for a walk," Raz stated, grabbing the door handle.

"But--"

"You say you don't know who you are," Sasha interrupted Milla, his voice causing Raz to pause at the door frame. "You claim that Razputin no longer exists, but I believe you know as well as we do that that isn't the case... don't you?"

Raz stood in silence for a moment. Then, without a word, he stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Milla made as if to go after him, but Sasha shook his head. "No. Stay."

"But..." Milla trailed off, glancing back towards the door.

"We've said all that we can say. We've helped all that we can," Sasha stated, sitting back down in his seat and going back to his laptop. "What happens next is up to him."

--

It was not a dark and stormy night. Or at least, sprinkling didn't really count as 'stormy' in Raz's mind, and he had hoped the weather could at least be on his side for once and be generally depressing, but it wasn't. It figured.

The teen let out a sigh, leaning against the rail of bridge where he had finally paused in his walk, the aged wood creaking under his weight. Jade green eyes darkened as he gazed out at slowly moving river below him, the gray, dreary clouds overhead reflected in it's dark surface, the image wavering slightly with the motion of the occasional tiny raindrop.

As he gazed down at the water swore he could hear it, the soft whisperings of an ancient curse at the back of his mind... but no, it was all in his head. And if he were to fall in, indeed, he would be pulled under... but it would be his own fault, wouldn't it? But would it really matter if it were the fault of some curse or not at this point? Either way, he would die by water. He would die... and would it matter? Would it matter if he were to just... slip over the edge and into the river, where those hands would drag him into that darkness forever? Would it hurt? Would he simply grow tired and fall asleep, or would it burn like fire? Would he care?

Would it matter?

"So... you're finally awake?" Lili's voice broke through the teen's dark thoughts, her expression blank as she sidled up next to him on the bridge, leaning against the rail as well.

The instant he heard her voice, in such contrast with the soft pattering of the drizzle, Raz tensed. "...Yeah," He finally said after a moment, keeping his gaze on the river, as far from hers as he could get it.

"Good," She murmured. "I was worried."

"You, worried?" Raz snorted. "I must have looked like hell if you're willing to admit that."

"Yeah, well... shut up."

The two stood in silence for awhile, not a word between them. The occasional car passed over the bridge, it's headlights illuminating their uneasy stillness before passing by, leaving their story behind.

"...Are you gonna yell at me?" Raz finally asked, his expression remaining fixed upon the water.

"No," Lili said simply.

"Hit me?" Raz asked.

"No," Lili repeated.

Raz's brow furrowed in confusion and he almost glanced over at her, but at the last second he stopped himself and turned back to the water. "...Why? Knowing you... I would have thought you'd have socked me in the face the moment you saw me after all this."

"I know. And that's why I'm not going to," Lili replied calmly. Sensing the other teen's confusion, she continued. "You want me to be mad at you. You want me to punish you... and that's why I'm not going to. Because you don't deserve it."

Raz snorted. "Don't deserve it? Lili, I--"

"I know, you idiot. I was there. And I've already told you... I don't care," Lili stated, finally turning to him, her amber eyes firm. As she spoke, the drizzle finally turned to a soft rain, the raindrops beginning to fall from the sky in a gentle rhythm.

"You don't care?" Raz repeated, his expression darkening. "You don't care. They don't care. You keep saying it, they keep saying it, everyone does. They say it and they say it, but they shouldn't. After everything that happened... how can you--"

"Raz. Stop." Lili reached out and grabbed his shoulder, turning the teen to face her. "Look... everything that happened... Raz, it's okay. I understand. You're human. You make mistakes. It's alright."

Raz gazed down at her for a moment, jade green meeting amber. "But I'm not... Lili... I'm not. I'm... you saw. You saw what I am. I've said it before and I'll say it again... I'm not that boy you fell in love with. I'm not some hero. I'm not anything..."

Lili scowled. "Raz, what makes you think what that psycho said changes anything?"

"It's not about what Nereus said! This has nothing to do with him, okay!?" Raz exclaimed, shaking his head. "This is about me, and how I couldn't stop it! Everything that's happened, all of it... I could have stopped it! I should have been able to stop it all! You shouldn't have had to come to my rescue, you shouldn't have to say it's all okay when it's not! I should be that stupid boy you fell in love with six years ago, but I can't do it! I can't live up to that anymore!"

He trailed off, panting, his expression desperate as he gazed down at her, the rain soaking her clothes and hair. Then, after a moment, he averted his eyes. "...I... Lili... I couldn't do it. I should have saved you. I should have been able to fight it... and I didn't. I should have been that hero and I wasn't. How can you stand to look at me when I've messed up like this?" Instead of waiting for an answer, the teen turned and began to walk away.

"I can't be what you need me to be. That's the problem."

He didn't get more than five steps before Lili's arms had looped around him from behind. "Stop. You stupid, conceited idiot... just stop," She murmured into the back of his shirt. Raz froze at her touch, though he said nothing, so she continued. "Stop punishing yourself for something you don't deserve, you idiot. Just stop."

After a few moments of silence she pulled away, taking Raz's arm and tugging him around to face her, her amber eyes narrowed. "What makes you think that you have to be my hero all the time? It's alright, I understand... you being who you are, that idiotic heroism is a part of you, but that doesn't mean you have to be that way all the time. That doesn't mean you can never be weak. I know you have a bit of a pride streak, Raz, but this is ridiculous. You are human, Raz. You have weaknesses, and that's okay!"

Raz winced, looking away. "But... I shouldn't--"

"No, stop. It's my turn to talk now," Lili snapped, cutting him off. "It's not about what you should and shouldn't do, Raz! No one expects you to be the hero all the time. You don't always have to be the one that saves everyone, it's okay to mess up! So what if you gave in!? Who cares!? No one does! I don't want you to be my hero all the time, I don't want you to be perfect, you moron! I love you! I want you to be you, that's all that matters!" Her voice was picking up in intensity as she went on as the rain fell around her, the drops coming faster and harder.

"Sasha, Milla, Oleander, Ford, everybody cares about you, Raz! We love you for who you are, and that includes when you mess up. We want to be there for you when you do, is that so damn hard to comprehend!? Even heroes need saving once and awhile, don't you get that?! So just admit that you messed up, let it out, and carry on! I'm here to help you when you fall down, that's what your girlfriend is supposed to do! And no, it's not alright to just push me away so you can go on punishing yourself for stupid shit like this! This isn't alright! Stop pushing me away, you idiot!" At these words thunder rumbled in the sky, the harbringer of a quickly growing storm.

Raz stood staring at her, his green eyes wide. "But... damnit Lili, in my dreams you die! I can't just sit back and--"

"Who the hell cares about your dreams, you idiot!?" Lili snapped, tears coming to her eyes. "They're just dreams, that's it! I don't care, and neither should you! If I die for helping you, so be it! People die, Raz, there's nothing you can do about it! Even if it's not today, not tomorrow, next week, whatever, at some point I'm going to die and so are you! And you know what? I don't care! Sometimes you have to make sacrifices, and it can't always be you who makes them! You can claim that's selflessness, but in reality, that's selfish in itself! To be the only one who sacrifices, to force other people to let you suffer... that's selfish, Raz! Sometimes you have to sit back and let someone else watch your back! That's how life works! And if you think I'm going to let you just sit there and suffer because you don't want me to die... well, too bad! Let me be the one who takes care of you for once!"

They stood in silence for a moment.

"But..." Raz trailed off, biting his lip, pain in his eyes. "I can't just..." Lili brought a hand to his cheek, shaking her head.

"No, Raz. You can. I'm not asking you to stop being a hero...because no matter how much you insist that it isn't anymore, that's a part of you. It always will be. But you can't go back and do what you're supposed to do if you keep going on like this. In order to be strong, sometimes you have to admit to being weak. You have to break sometimes... and you have to let us be there to help you put it all back." Lili pulled Raz close, gazing into his eyes.

"Let me save you for once. Stop pushing me away... if you really want to save me, first save yourself."

Raz took a shaking breath. "...Lili..." He murmured, his voice barely audible over the rain.

And then without warning he was holding her close, clenching fist-fulls of her drenched black shirt, crying out pleas and apologizing and begging for God only knew what and sobbing about how tired he was and oh-so-sick of it all and he wanted to quit but God he couldn't because there was just so much that he had to fix and he was just so fucking sorry it had come down to this. And of course she was crying too, sobbing out questions of why this had taken so long and why they hadn't seen each other in so God damn long and he just didn't know and why hadn't this all been said back before this all started in the first place? And he didn't know but it was okay because she was here now and he was here now and it would be okay because he was going to pull through somehow, for her, all for her, because if any one thing in this world mattered it was her. And then they were laughing and crying and holding each other and was that the rain or their tears that made their faces so wet and who really cared? Because it didn't matter anyway.

It didn't matter. Because he knew what mattered and finally through all this damn babble he knew exactly what he had to say.

"I love you," Raz whispered.

"Huh?" Lili pulled away for a moment, pressing her forehead against his, her amber eyes puffy from crying.

"I love you," Raz repeated, reaching up to brush a strand of soaking wet hair from her face. "I'm sorry... I should have said it so long ago... back at Whispering Rock, so many times I should have said it and I didn't... but I'm saying it now. I love you."

Lili stared at him for a moment. Then she gave a quiet laugh. "You idiot... you don't have to say it now, I already know."

Raz snorted. "So what? I'm saying it anyway... I love you."

Lili chuckled as well as she pulled in closer, amber eyes meeting jade. "Yes, you've told me... now when are you finally going to just shut up and kiss me?" She whispered.

"When are you going to stop using that line?" Raz whispered back even as he drew even closer.

"When you start following through," Lili replied, her eyes fluttering shut, her breath mingling with his.

"In that case... maybe I won't... I like that line, it's classic..." Raz murmured.

And that was all it took. The two met in a soft meshing of lips, everything but the two of them seeming to fade away in the heat of the moment. Fingers threaded through strands of hair, fists grabbing handfuls of rain-soaked shirts, each holding onto the other as if they never meant to let go. The river down below, the cars passing by, the thundering downpour... everything just vanished, leaving a world made up of them and only them.

Neither knew what was coming next. Neither knew how everything was going to come together, or if it would at all. Neither knew if the two of them would even survive to see it all. But for the moment, none of it mattered.

They were alive. And in the end, somehow... that made it all okay.

--

The moment Raz opened the door to the hotel room, everyone's eyes were on him. The teen blinked, then stepped into the room with Lili in tow The two stood in the entryway, soaking wet. Finally, Raz spoke up.

"So uh... some storm, huh?" He remarked.

Ford nodded. "No kidding. But I think it was a long time coming, wasn't it?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at Raz.

Raz cracked a small smile. "Yeah... it was. I'm sorry it took so long... if it hadn't, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as it is."

"Eh, it happens. When you get old you get used to it," Ford said, eyes twinkling.

"Yeah," The teen averted his gaze to the floor, scratching his head. "I..." He trailed off, taking a deep breath. What was he supposed to say? What could he say after all that? He wasn't entirely sure... but somehow, when Lili squeezed his hand, he found words.

"It's been... a hell of a summer, huh?"

Oleander snorted as he folded his arms before him. "You've got that right."

Raz gave a nervous laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah... it's been a hell of a summer... and I've messed up a lot, I know that... but I think by doing so, I've finally figured it out... I just wish I'd figured it out before I got you all involved in this mess." He raked a hand through his hair, then allowed it to drop to his side as he took a deep breath. "...I'm sorry, guys. Really, I'm sorry for saying those things, for getting upset, for being so damn stubborn... I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, darling," Milla said gently, smiling. "We understand, and we're glad to help."

Raz felt his shoulders relax slightly. "Yeah... thanks. I'm sorry I was such an ass about that."

"Oh, I was hardly surprised," Sasha remarked dryly. "You're a teenager, truly I'm amazed you didn't break anything."

Raz snorted. "Gee, thanks, Sasha."

Sasha shook his head, though for a second Raz could have sworn he saw the German smile. "Enough apologies... I think the question you'd like to answer is the one you've been asking all along, isn't it?"

The teen blinked and then after a moment he nodded. "... Who am I?"

"Who are you?" Sasha repeated.

"Who am I?" Raz murmured, his jade green eyes darkening for a moment. "...Yeah... I know who that is now. I'm Razputin Aquato. I'm no hero, I'm no poster boy, I'm no golden psychic child, I'm no prodigy. I'm no murderer, no monster, nor am I some kind of psychic weapon for the destruction of mankind. I'm not... anything of Nereus'. I'm not his toy, I'm not his pet... I'm none of that. I'm just... Raz. Raz... just some teenage Psychonaut with a bit of an ego, some luck and... some really great friends. I make mistakes, I screw up... and that's okay, because as Raz, I can fix it. And in the end... that's all everyone really needed me to be. Just Raz."

There was a silence for a few moments... and then Ford stood up and walked over to the teen. The elderly man flashed a grin as he clapped Raz on the back. "Good job, Razputin. Welcome back."

"Agreed," Sasha murmured, smiling as he brushed a strand of dark hair out of his eyes.

"It's about damn time!" Oleander grinned.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Milla gushed, rushing over and hugging Raz close for a moment. "I was so worried... good to see things are finally looking up for you, darling!"

"Yeah, seriously. Did you have to give the corny speech, though?" Lili teased, looping an arm around her boyfriend's middle as Raz grinned sheepishly.

"She's got a point, kid. Next time you feel the need to have a character-building moment, work on your speech," Oleander drawled.

"You're just jealous because when I give a speech people don't have to look down to show I've got their attention," Raz snorted.

"Hey!" The coach cried, indignant. "Why I'll--"

"Calm down, Morry, he's an invalid," Sasha called from his seat, though he was smiling.

Oleander scowled, glaring at Raz's bandages. "Well, it's not like it he'd look much different once I got done if he weren't beat up. You're dead once you get better though, kid," He declared, pointing dramatically at the teen.

"I'll look forward to it, coach," Raz said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever... I'm gonna see what's on TV," The midget marine muttered, turning and making his way over to the television set.

"TeeeVeeeee..." Ford mumbled in a zombie-like manner as he followed after the coach.

"Shut up, old man." Morry grumbled.

"Well, this is wonderful, darling!" Milla declared, clapping her hands together. "Now how about I make you that soup? You must be starving!" She said as she made her way towards the kitchenette.

"Sure, that'd be great," Raz said, finally collapsing into a chair with a small laugh. It was here that he stayed, watching everyone bustle around him. Milla was humming cheerily to herself as she looked around for the soup, though this was nearly drowned out by the noise of Ford and Morry arguing over which TV station to watch. Sasha remained silent as he typed on his laptop, using telekinesis to light a cigarette as he did so. He was promptly reprimanded by Milla and the two began to bicker. Raz watched this chaos and let out a sigh, his shoulders relaxing.

"You alright?" Lili asked as she took a seat beside him, placing a hand on his.

Raz blinked at the touch, glancing over at his girlfriend. Then he smiled, entwining his fingers with hers. "Yeah... I'll be alright."

Lili gave a small smile as well, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Good."

The two sat in silence for a moment, watching as the adults fought over the TV, neither really paying attention to the screen anymore. Cartoons, some stupid soap opera, Gilmore Girls, Jeopardy, a pair of sapphire eyes...

Raz's eyes suddenly widened and he bolted to his feet, slamming his hands down on the tabletop. "Change it back!" He cried.

Morry glanced back at him, blinking in confusion. "What? Don't tell me you want to want to watch the fucking Girlmore Girls like-- hey!" He exclaimed as Raz telekinetically yanked the controller from his hands and changed the channel back.

And there was Nereus Galochio on screen.

Raz froze, his entire body feeling as if it were going numb. Jade green eyes widened as he caught the remote with numb fingers, just staring at the screen. He watched that silver trenchcoat and blond hair billow in the wind, watched bursts of blinding blue energy crackling across the screen, smoke and fire surging into the air before livid sapphire eyes. The words "Mass Murderer Claims He Will Not Stop Until Demands Are Met" flashed across the screen, burning into his mind.

"...Oh no..." Milla murmured.

Raz said nothing, a lump gathering in his throat as he turned the volume up on the TV.

"The attacks continue throughout the country as the apparent puppetmaster from a few days ago continues his rampage. People who were just starting to pull themselves together have little they can do but hide and pray for their lives. Troops have been mobilized to stop him, but all have apparently been decimated by this man and his strange army. We were, however, able to get this footage of the madman behind it all." The reporter stated... and it was then that the rather shaky, home-video quality footage began to roll.

"Razputin! RAZPUTIN!" Nereus screamed at the top of his lungs, drowning out the screams of his victims even as he shot forth another blast of energy. His face twitched as he glared at the camera, his eyes flashing, energy crackling at his fingertips. "Where are you, my stupid little pet!? WHERE ARE YOU!? Show yourself! You're coming back with me whether you like it or not, you dirty little creature! I know you're out here, Aquato! I know you're out here, and I will find you, even if I have to kill them all to do it! You know I will! WHERE ARE YOU!? SHOW YOURSELF!"

His ranting continued as Raz stood there, staring at the screen, feeling as if his insides had turned to ice at the sound of that voice, one he remembered all too well and had hoped to never hear again.

"That bastard..." Oleander muttered, his hands clenching into his fists. "He really doesn't know when to quit, does he?"

"He makes_ me_ feel sane," Ford muttered.

"...Raz," Lili murmured, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. "It's alright... my dad will probably mobilize the Psychonauts against him. You don't have to worry about it."

"She's right, Razputin," Milla said gently. "Sure, Nereus is a powerful psychic... but I'm certain if Truman gets enough agents out there, they'll be able to stop him."

"Yeah, that's right. You don't have to worry about it, and you're not in any condition to fight... just rest, Raz. Please?" Lili pleaded quietly.

Sasha remained silent as the two begged, his sunglasses betraying no emotion whatsoever.

But even so... Raz knew.

"...Thanks for trying to give me a way out, guys," He said, flashing a small smile at Lili and Milla. "But this is my mess. This is my problem... and I know I'm the only one who can fix it." That said, he made his way across the room to the coat hooks, where he proceeded to pull off his backpack and began to dig through the old thing's contents.

"So... you're going to fight, then?" Milla asked.

"What choice do I have?" Raz asked as he shrugged off his still damp shirt, revealing a tightly bandaged abdomen for a few seconds before it was covered again as he pulled on the dark green turtleneck that made up the top part of his Psychonauts uniform. "You say the Psychonauts can take care of it... but I'm a Psychonaut, aren't I?" He continued as he made his way across the room, stepping into the bathroom and moving the door so while it was open a crack, he could still change. "And even if I wasn't... I've seen what Nereus can do. He's on a different level than any other psychic... normally I don't think I could beat him. But with Vritra... with all that power... if I can control that, I may be the only one who has a chance at beating him," He declared as he stepped out, adjusting a pair of jeans.

"And you truly think you can control all that latent power if you were to bring it into use?" Sasha asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No, but I can try," Raz stated, pulling on his fingerless gloves as he walked across the room again. He then grabbed his tan trenchcoat from the coat rack, silently nodding to Milla in thanks as he shrugged it on. He then wound his miraculously fixed scarf (It was likely Lili's doing, though she wouldn't admit it) around his neck before looking back to his fellow agents.

"I don't expect you guys to come with me. This is my fight, so--"

"Uh huh. Blahblahblah, this is your fight, that's nice. I call shotgun," Lili stated, standing up and stretching.

Raz blinked. "Wha... what?"

"Well, you didn't really think we were going to let you run off and get killed by yourself, did you darling?" Milla asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Raz flushed. "Well, I--"

"You can't fly the jet yet, anyway, so I don't see what you're babbling about, kid," Ford said with a grin.

"Indeed. I don't believe I'd want you doing so even if you were licensed," Sasha stated.

"Hey!" Raz cried, indignant.

"Face it, you're stuck with us, so you'd better suck it up and deal with it, soldier," Morry declared. "Unless you'd rather drop and give me twenty!"

"Uh... no coach, that won't be necessary." Raz laughed, scratching his head. He then let his hand drop to his side, staring at his friends for a moment. "After all this... after all I've just been over... I really can't say no, can I?"

"Nope!" Lili said cheerily. "Come on, let's go kick some pretty boy ass!"

Raz grinned. "Sounds good to me! Come on, let's--"

"Ah, wait a moment, Razputin," Sasha interrupted him, a smile coming to his face. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

The teen blinked. "Huh?"

Milla laughed, patting her head. "You mean you didn't notice?"

Raz blinked again, then reached up and patted his head... only to find his goggles weren't there. "Whoa!" He laughed. "I must have really been out of it, huh?"

Ford chuckled, using telekinesis to grab the fabled red-lensed goggles from Raz's room and hand them to the boy. "Alright son, there you go. Now don't let us catch you walkin' around without em, you hear? It just ain't right!"

Raz chuckled as well, gazing down at the goggles in his gloved hands for a moment, watching his own red-tinted reflection. "Right... I'll make sure to avoid that." He then pulled the elastic strap over his head, letting the lenses fall and dangle over his collarbone for a moment before he took both and snapped them onto his head.

This task complete, Raz turned to his fellow agents, his friends, and that familiar, detemined, confident grin they all knew flashed across his face.

"Alright, let's move!"

--

**To Be Continued..**

_Every time someone reads this chapter and doesn't review, another person somewhere turns down Psychonauts because it isn't like every other game they've played. Please, think of our fandom!_


	18. The Messiah's Last Stand

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Messiah's Last Stand**

**--**

_And then we got to the final battle. It took me several more chapters and several more months than it was supposed to, but here we are. Woot, I guess?_

_Of course, this is where things get a big obscenely anime-ish, so I apologize for any over-the-topness and too much clich__é__. I sincerely hope after reading through seventeen chapters you'll enjoy it anyway, however. It took a lot of work to try to keep the action from being too mind-numbingly repetitive, so I hope you'll excuse a few repeat phrasings or anything like that, this is the first time I've really written a serious fight scene._

_Umm... not much else to say. If you're in need of any good listening music during this chapter, I used "The King of Sorrow" from Klonoa 2 (which I've sort of treated as Nereus' theme), The Opening Demo track from .hack/G.U. and The Final Battle from Final Fantasy X. If you want to download any of that, most of it can be found on , or in the link for the little soundtrack thingy I've put together on my profile._

_Right, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is _King of Sorrow's Theme _from _Klonoa 2 (Track 18) _and _The Final Battle_ from_ Final Fantasy X (Track 19).

--

The rush to get the jet in order for take off had been an interesting affair indeed. It had started off as a rather ambient, heavy affair with a "this is the final battle" sort of feel, but then they forgot half of what they meant to bring in the hotel room. Then of course it had turned out that they needed to power the jet, and then once it had finally powered and started quite suddenly the girls all had to go to the bathroom, after which all the guys did, and then of course there had been the incident involving Morry and that squirrel. Needless to say, after all this chaos the heavy atmosphere had evaporated and the entire group was either annoyed or amused, save for poor Sasha, whom kept desperately trying to remind them all that they were heading towards the psychic battle to determine the fate of mankind and they should really be more serious about the whole matter. He failed rather miserably at that. However, finally they all did manage to get things going, and soon enough our motley crew was off.

Unfortunately for them, it seemed Nereus was pretty far from where Milla had rented out their hotel room, and he kept moving, so they were in for a bit of a long ride with not much to do but wait.

This was why Lili found herself waking up after a few hours with her cheek pressed against the material of Raz's trenchcoat, the sound of the jet engines humming in her ears, feeling rather groggy. The brunette blinked, glancing around the cabin with slightly blurred vision. She saw Coach Oleander sprawled out across the bench-like, purple plush seat towards the back, his handlebar mustache moving comically every time he gave a loud snore. Milla, meanwhile, was situated near the other window, her head cradled against Sasha's shoulder, sleeping quietly while her partner tapped away on his laptop. Ford, meanwhile, was driving and keeping quiet for the most part, although oldies music could be heard softly crooning from the dash board.

"Hey," Lili blinked, then glanced over to see Raz smiling softly at her. She smiled back.

"Hey," She whispered, leaning over to give him a kiss. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Nah," At Lili's look the Raz grinned sheepishly. "I've already been asleep for three days, it's not like I need anymore."

Lili scowled. "Bullshit, you still look like hell."

"I'll be fine," Raz stated, chuckling for a moment. After a few moments, however, his expression darkened. "It's not like I could sleep anyway... you know?" He glanced away, green eyes shifting to look out the window.

Lili gazed at him for a moment, then took his hand in hers and squeezed. They sat in silence like that for awhile, just being together. After a minute, Lili spoke. "So... I've been thinking... what are we going to do about our anniversary?"

Raz blinked. "Our anniversary?" He repeated, brow furrowing. His eyes then widened. "Oh shit, that was a few days ago, wasn't it!? Oh man, I'm so sorry Lili!"

Lili laughed quietly. "It's okay, it's okay. I'll let you off the hook this time," She said with a smirk. "But don't you get used to it, young man."

Raz let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair. "Don't worry, I won't."

"Good. Because I do expect you to do me one small favor," Lili said, winking.

The goggle-headed teen grinned. "Really now? And what might that be?"

Lili leaned close to him, propping her forehead against his. "Once this is all over, I want you to take a vacation."

"A vacation?" Raz repeated.

"Yeah, that's right. A vacation. You work too hard and I never see you, it's about time you took a break," Lili stated.

Raz frowned. "Well... Lili..I..." He shook his head. "I--"

"Uh uh, you're not allowed to get out of it!" The brunette said with a grin. "You have to promise me you'll do it!"

The teen gave a small laugh. "But Lili, I..." He rubbed the back of his neck, expression darkening again. "I can't promise to do something if I'm not entirely sure I'll be there for it. I mean... you know where we're headed, and... well... I might not--" He was interrupted as Lili's hand clamped over his mouth.

"Don't say it," Lili hissed, her amber eyes deadly serious, her fists clenching handfuls of his trenchcoat. "Don't even think about it." She shook her head. "You're going to win, Raz. You're going to do your damn duty, you're going to stop that madman, and you're going to come out alive. So that means you have to promise me." Her expression softened slightly at this. "You don't get a choice in the matter. You're taking a vacation Raz, and you and I are going on a road trip, okay?"

Raz was quiet for a moment, jade meeting amber. Finally, after a moment, he spoke. "A road trip?" Raz repeated, blinking.

"Yeah." Lili said, her grin returning. "I'd really like to go visit California... you know, see the Pacific Ocean and all."

Raz made a face. "The ocean? Lili, you know--"

"No. We're seeing the damn ocean," Lili snapped, cutting him off.

Raz stared at her another moment, then grinned. "Alright, alright, fine. Whatever you want."

"So you're taking a vacation after all this?" Lili asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Raz sighed. "Fine."

"And you're going on a road trip with me?"

"Yes, fine."

"And you'll go to California and see the Pacific Ocean?"

Raz rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, fine, okay, I get it!"

Lili glared at him for a moment, her face serious again. "...Promise?" She whispered, her amber eyes betraying what that one word meant that she could not say. She wasn't just asking him to promise to go on some petty vacation. She was asking him to take a break and still be himself once all was said and done. She was asking him to promise to survive to go on that vacation.

She wanted him to promise he would live.

Raz gazed down at her for a moment, biting his lip. What could he say to that? He couldn't, in all honesty, completely promise all he was asked. He wanted to, God how he wanted to, but he couldn't lie. Not to her.

So he would have to do his best to make sure it wouldn't be a lie.

"...I promise," He whispered back, moving in and kissing her passionately, something she fervently returned.

"Alright you two, keep it PG," Ford suddenly called from up front, causing both to spring apart and blush furiously.

"Ford!" Lili exclaimed while Raz gave a choking noise, which only made the former Grand Head of the Psychonauts laugh.

"So, Razputin, you think you'll be okay?" Ford asked, glancing over his shoulder and smiling at the teen.

Raz blinked a moment, then grinned. "Well, I should be okay... you know, as long as Nereus' power level isn't OVER NINE THOOOUUUSSAAAAND!"

There was silence in the cabin for a moment.

"Don't ever do that again, Raz." Lili said.

"Awwww, but it's fun!" Raz whined.

"I must agree with Miss Zanotto here." Sasha stated from his seat as Milla lifted her head off of his shoulder and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with a yawn. "There will be no more shouting of internet memes here."

"Just be happy he didn't say 'Nein Thousand' instead?" Ford grinned.

Sasha glared daggers at him.

"Ugh..." Morry groaned from his seat, sitting up and scratching his head. "When are we gonna get there, Ford? The trenches were more comfortable than these damn seats."

"We're going as fast as this jet can handle, Morry, so stop your whining."

"I'll complain if I wanna complain, you old geezer!" Morry snapped.

Milla sighed. "Oh, honestly, Morry." She muttered.

"Well, we're almost there, so calm down," Raz called back.

"Since when do you have a right to tell me to--...wait, how do you know that?" The coach blinked.

Raz shrugged. "I can't really explain it... I just... do..." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's just... like he and I are... connected, you know? I just... sense it somehow."

"Your powers did come from the same place, and your families' psychic signatures are deeply imprinted on one another, so I suppose this is a possibility," Sasha spoke up.

"Well, I can't argue with that, he's right. I'd say we're definitely here," Ford stated, his voice taking on a grim tone.

"Really?" Lili blinked.

"Well, it's about damn time!" Oleander snapped, peering out the window as the others did the same.

The moment she looked, Milla's face became one of aching sorrow. "...I don't think I'll ever get used to this..." She murmured.

Stretched out before them was a small, snowcovered town tucked at the base of a mountain. It had probably been a cozy sort of place, the kind of town one would visit for a quiet little break from the bustle of everyday life. Now, however, the silence was sickening. The peace was gone, replaced by the eerie chill of a graveyard. Small cottages, inns, and stores were smashed into pieces, crimson soaking the pure white snow, leaking from body after body sprawled helplessly across the streets.

"Well... he's definitely been here," Ford murmured grimly after a moment of silence.

"...No, not 'been'." Raz shook his head. "He's still here, I can sense it. Along with his army."

"Wonderful," Lili muttered, her hands clenching into fists. "At least we'll finally get our chance to kick his ass for all this."

"Sounds like a plan, darling," Milla nodded, her eyes flashing angrily.

"You want me to take her down then?" Ford asked, glancing back at Raz. At the teen's nod, the elderly man glanced around for a landing spot... and then winced. "Uh oh. Looks like we're not the only ones here," He said, gesturing to a rocky clearing just outside of the village. Spread out along it were various jets, helicopters, jeeps, and trucks, all with one very familiar insignia etched across their sides.

"The Psychonauts," Raz murmured, his face darkening.

"There doesn't seem to be any other place where we can land." Sasha observed.

"What!?" Lili cried. "But Sasha, they-- Raz! They think--"

"I am aware of the circumstances, Miss Zanotto, but it seems we have no other option. We will have to confront our colleagues at some point, at any rate," The German Psychonaut said. "We could send a radio message, but considering the circumstances I don't think alerting our position anymore than we have to Nereus' army would be a wise idea."

Lili shook her head. "But Raz--"

"I'll be fine," Raz squeezed her hand in his, flashing a smile. "Don't worry." With that, he looked back to Ford and nodded. "Set down the jet."

"Aye-aye, captain," Ford said with a nod. That said, he brought down the jet with ease, setting it down a little bit away from the Psychonauts vehicles. The moment the purple psitanium underside of the jet ceased to glow and the jet touched the snowy ground, the hatch opened and all six psychics levitated out with ease.

The instant Raz's feet touched the snowy ground, he found himself trapped under the gaze of about a dozen powerful, rather angry agents. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" One murmured, green eyes flashing, his spiky brown hair actually appearing to have frozen in the chilly wind. His gloved hands were clenched into fists.

"Everyone's favorite prodigy," A second agent sneered, her long blonde hair and the fur that lined her coat whipping in the wind.

"Agent Brown, Agent Reneike..." Raz murmured, wincing at the cold tone carried by his fellow agents.

"Oooh, he can remember our names now? Impressive," The blonde sneered.

"Don't you dare talk to Raz that way!" Lili snapped as she came to stand by Raz's side, entwining his fingers in her grasp. The teen blinked and glanced over to her, somewhat shocked, but his girlfriend's fiery gaze was fixed upon her fellow agents. She had traded her skirt and short-sleeves for a pair of jeans and a tight black coat, her pink scarf fluttering in the wind.

A third agent spoke up, this one middle-aged. "Miss Zanatto, I understand that you are the daughter of the Grand Head, but please, as a senior agent I'm going to have to ask you to step aside. We have been ordered to arrest Agent Aquato on sight, using force if necessary."

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that, darling," Milla said, stepping out in front of the teen, her silky hair billowing behind her. She had pulled on a long white leather coat over her brightly colored dress, the fur trim hugging snugly against her curvy frame.

The middle-aged agent let out a sigh, adjusting his glasses. "Agent Vodello, please. I know you are attached to the boy, but what has been done cannot be changed."

"Razputin has done nothing wrong, Agent Smith," Sasha stated, stepping in front of the teen as well, hands stuffed in the pockets of his black leather trenchcoat.

"Yes, that's right, aside from destroyingtwenty cities!" Agent Reneike snarled.

"Razputin was not the one at fault there, Agent Reneike. We have proof." Ford said, coming to take his place next to Milla and Sasha, his brown coat buttoned tightly around him.

Raz bit his lip. "Guys..."

"Quiet, Raz. Let us handle this." Lili hissed.

"Proof? But... Agent Cruller, sir, we aren't blind!" Agent Brown cried. "We saw Aquato murder millions with his own two hands!"

"Hey, Ford may be an old coot but he's still higher in rank than you, kid! Now stand down!" Oleander barked as he shuffled through the snow, having traded his usual khaki shirt for some winter army gear.

Agent Brown's lip curled. "Oleander? They're still employing you?"

Morry's face went red. "Yes, Harry, they are still employing me! And I do in fact still outrank you, so STAND DOWN, soldier!" He snarled.

The green-eyed agent snorted. "The words of an old man who the agency wrote off years ago and the megalomaniac who tried to take the entire thing apart six years ago against a top priority command from Truman Zanotto himself? Even with two of the agency's superstars on your side, I'm afraid you don't--"

"Agent Brown," Smith's tone spoke of a warning, leaving Brown with little to do but fall silent and sneer. "He does have a point, however. The command issued was top priority. You four have decent standings in the agency, yes, but I'm afraid it isn't enough. It's our duty to take the one behind all this mess into custody."

"Then you've got the wrong guy!" Ford cried.

"Yeah, the one you're looking for is the prettyboy! Why are you wasting your time with Raz!?" Lili exclaimed.

"Even with what that man has done, the things Razputin have done remain. He is still accountable for his actions," Smith stated.

"Still accountable!" Milla exclaimed, bristling. "He--"

"Milla, stop making damn excuses!" Agent Reneike snarled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, body shaking with barely suppressed rage. "You can't just sit there and say 'oh, it's not Razputin's fault' when we have seen what he's done! That thing you're protecting isn't a kid, he's an abomination! He has leveled twenty cities! Do you have any idea how many agents he took out without a second thought, how many soldiers lost their lives!?"

Raz winced. "Ma'am--"

"Don't you dare say anything! Shut up I'LL KILL YOU!!" Reneike screamed, tears in her eyes as she lunged at the teen, shoving past a surprised Milla and Sasha to tackle Raz to the snowy ground.

"Get off of him!" Lili screamed, her eyes wide.

"Agent Reneike, please, compose yourself!" Sasha cried.

"SHUT UP!" Reneike shrieked, pulling back a fist to punch Raz in the face. "My family was in one of those cities, you asshole! You killed my mom and dad with those damn hands and now all you can do is sit there and say it's not your fault!?" She threw the punch, and then another and another. "Because you, my little sister is_ dead_! You fucking incinerated her without a second thought! She was only five years old and you killed her! How can you justify that!?"

Finally, a gloved hand came up to catch one fist, then the other, sorrowful green eyes meeting grief-stricken blue.

"...How can you... you fucking murderer?" Reneike sobbed, tears swimming in her eyes.

Raz gazed up at her for a moment, his expression blank, though the pain in his eyes was clear, blood now dripping from a split lip. "...You're right," He finally murmured, his voice nearly lost in the frigid mountain air. "What I've done... there isn't anything that can excuse it."

Agent Reneike stared at him for a moment before her face crumpled, teardrops finally slipping down her cheeks. "You... you..."

"I know. I'm sorry," Raz said quietly, sitting up and carefully pushing her off of him. "There isn't anything I can do to take it all back... if there was anything I could do, anything to bring all those people, to bring your family back... I would. I'm so sorry it came down to this. They shouldn't have had to pay for my stupid mistake," He shook his head as he wiped the blood away, then stood, glancing back to the other agents. "I know... there's nothing I can do to fix what has been done. There's nothing I can do about that. But... there _is _something I still can do. I can't make it all right, I can't bring back the lives lost... but if I don't do this, so many more are going to be lost. I can't make it all right... but I'm gonna do what I can."

He took a deep breath, then glanced back to his friends, his entire body shaking. "Guys..."

Lili gazed back at him, her face expressionless. "...It's time for you to go...isn't it?"

Raz gave a nod, green eyes shining with an indescribable something. He really couldn't explain it... he just knew. He could feel it in his bones, he could feel something calling for him, tugging him further up the mountain. He could hear it in his ears, the whisperings of things that had waited too long to be fulfilled, things that could wait no longer. He could hear life and death calling, could feel power rushing through his veins, an intense force of fire and ice, could hear his own heart beating in terror and excitement.

And in that instant he knew that it was time.

"Well, what are you waiting for, then? You've got a world to save, don't ya? Go on, git!" Ford exclaimed with a grin as he stepped out between Raz and the other agents once again.

"You heard the old man, get out of here! Come on, maggot, move!" Oleander shouted.

Raz frowned. "But what about--"

"They're right darling, go. We'll handle things here, now go on." Milla said with a smile, taking her own spot.

Sasha nodded, lighting a cigarette. "Yes, Razputin. I believe it's time you finally finished things, yes?"

"Guys..." Raz bit his lip as he looked to each of his mentors, eyes wide. "I..." He swallowed, his gaze finally going to Lili.

Amber met jade for a moment... and then Lili nodded, squeezing his hand. "Just remember... you promised."

"...I know."

"Good. Now go."

"...Thanks, you guys."

And that was all it took. With a final squeeze of Lili's hand, Raz turned and began sprinting towards the ruined village, the ends of his trenchcoat fanning out behind him.

"Hey! Get back here, you're still under arrest!" Agent Brown cried, making as if to follow him. However, Ford and Oleander stood in his path.

"'Fraid I can't let you do that, Harry," Ford murmured.

"If you stand between us and his arrest, you all will be charged with aiding him," Agent Smith warned.

"Bring it on, then. You aren't laying a hand on that kid as long as I'm still breathing," Oleander snarled.

Smith scowled. "Do not force me to call in backup, Agent Oleander."

"Oh, phooey! You know as well as we do that we're too high up on the mountain for any sort of signal to get through!" Ford exclaimed.

"Um, guys? I hate to break up your little hatefest, but maybe we should stop fighting each other and focus on those guys..." Lili suddenly spoke up.

All of the Psychonauts blinked and glanced up from each other... only to find that they were indeed surrounded on all sides by what remained of Nereus' army. Each clad in elaborate silver, all with malicious intent in their eyes, it was a sight to behold.

"Well, would you look at that? More Psychonauts. Do you think the boss'll complain if we wipe these guys out?" One sneered.

"I doubt it," Another chuckled.

"Excellent."

"...Well, this cannot be good," Sasha commented as he fell into a fighting stance.

"You're tellin' me, baby," Milla murmured as the ends of her pink coat fluttered in the wind.

"Great, just great. We came here for the blond guy and instead we end up with Aquato, who runs off and leaves us to deal with the thugs," Agent Brown grumbled.

"You couldn't handle him anyway," Lili muttered bitterly, ignoring the way the icy wind bit through her jeans.

"...I just don't get it..." Agent Reneike murmured from her place, still kneeling in the snow. "...What's so great about him? What can he do that's the so different from the rest of us?"

There was silence for a few moments.

"Because he just... is. He's Raz. He's the most couragous, the kindest, noblest, stupidest idiot I've ever met," Lili said with a quiet laugh.

"When everyone else in the entire damn world has already given up and fallen apart... that kid's still gonna be there. Stupid... but he'll still be there," Oleander said gruffly.

"If that kid says he'll do something, he'll do it. Nothing's gonna stop him," Ford agreed.

"And right now, darling, that's the best we've got. Because right now... the one behind all this, the one who really murdered your family, the one who did all this... I don't know what's wrong with him, but he's powerful. There's no way any of us can beat him," Milla murmured. "But Razputin... he's connected to him, somehow... that boy is connected to all of this. If there's anyone who can do it... if there's anyone who can stop this, who can save that monster from whatever it is that's causing all this mess... it's him."

"The truth is, Agent Reneike... yes, Razputin is young. He is human, he has made mistakes... but he's surpassed them, and at this point, he is our only chance. It is a great and terrible burden, that kind of power... but Razputin... he is different," Sasha stated.

It at this moment that Nereus' army finally attacked, surging forward with shouts and promises of pain, psychic energy raining down from all sides as the Psychonauts fought to defend themselves.

"Just a boy, yes... but that boy is going to be your savior."

--

It seemed fitting, somehow, that the place where Raz would find Nereus would be a church.

It was a broken down, torn apart thing. The roof had been smashed inward, the heavy stone material laying scattered in chunks, the chandelier laying in a twisted mess of metal on the floor, forgotten. An entire wall had been taken out, various pews splintered and ruined, the pages of old bibles scattered. A fresh layer of snow covered the place, gathering upon the shattered face of virgin Mary. It almost managed to cover the bodies of preachers and their followers alike that lay there, leaving them to rest beneath a blanket of pure white.

And there, standing at the alter, stood the one behind it all, the one who had taken the entire place and twisted it in his idea of "good". He stood at the alter, gazing up at the broken cross, the ends of his silver trenchcoat billowing out behind him. His back was to his visitor, the broken stone wings of one of the statues spreading out from behind him, silhouette in the ethereal glow of sunset filtered through broken stained glass windows. With the bodies of his victims spread out beneath the shimmering snow all around him, the scene would have been best described as one fitting a fallen angel.

Raz wasn't sure if the term would have fit or not. He really wasn't the type for that kind of symbolism.

"So then, Razputin... here we are. Just the two of us, here at the end of all," Nereus finally spoke, his voice ringing through the broken church. Raz swallowed, trying to ignore how dry his mouth became and the way his hands shook at the sound of the blond's voice. "True... things did not go necessarily as planned... but even so, here we are." The blond smirked as he turned to face Raz, sapphire eyes flashing. "I told you, did I not?"

"Yeah... but you're wrong. It's not just the two of us," Raz said, finally managing to find his voice.

Nereus quirked an eyebrow at him. "I thought we were supposed to be finished lying, Razputin. You know as well as I do that you stand before me alone... just you and I, Razputin. That is all there is, and that is all there is meant to be."

Raz shook his head. "You're wrong. All this time, you've been telling me I'm set apart... that I cannot exist, that I am destined to destroy all around me and in the end I can't be with anyone... but that's not true. I've never been alone. Corny though it might sound... my friends, they're always with me. They're there to support me, even when I can't stand on my own. I just wish I could have realized that earlier."

"Your friends?" Nereus sneered. "Razputin, do not try to fool yourself! You know as well as I that a monster like you cannot have those!"

"I'm not a monster!" Raz exclaimed, eyes narrowing as his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I know... I've done some horrible things, and I know they can't all be fixed. I know I've made mistakes... but I'm still human. I'm different, yeah... but that's not something I deserve to be punished for. No... I'm done dwelling over what's already been done. I'm done worrying. I'm going to live my own life and do what I can with it! I'm free, and you can't take that from me!"

Nereus stared down at Raz for a moment, his expression stony. "My poor, poor little Razputin. It seems a mere few days away from you have been enough to not only cause you to regress from my teachings, but the teachings of our very families as well. Poor, poor Razputin," He murmured, his voice sorrowful, belittling.

"The teachings of our families were wrong, Nereus!" Raz cried. "This entire thing is insane! There is no curse! There is no Vritra! It's all in your head, nothing more! You can stop at any time, you-- hell, _we_ have a choice, Nereus! Our lives don't have to be dictated by this stupid curse, it doesn't have to end this way! We can be free, you idiot! You don't have to do this!"

"I don't have to do this?" Nereus repeated, his eyes narrowing. "Foolish boy... it seems you've regressed further than I thought. Do not worry, my poor, lost Aquato. Once you finally see reason and return to my side, we will have plenty of time for your reeducation."

Raz scowled. "I didn't come here to return to your side, Nereus. I see the truth now. Your words can't do anything anymore. I told you already... I'm free."

"Free?" Nereus repeated, brow furrowing.

"Yeah... free." The teen took a deep breath, calm jade green meeting enraged sapphire. "I stand before you now, Nereus Galochio, not just as an Aquato. I stand here now because there is one thing left. I stand here now, not because I care about some ancient family feud, nor of curses and demons. I stand here now because if I don't, who else is going to stop you?"

A silence fell over the church as Nereus gazed down at Raz, his face expressionless, though his eyes blazed with fury. "...You are a fool, Razputin Aquato." Without another word, the blond levitated into the air, forearms crossed before him as his hair and trenchcoat billowed around him. "I have tried reason, Aquato, but you have refused to listen. If your will is to defy me, then I have no choice. I will have to use force... and if, in the end, it comes to your demise... so be it. You have tried the patience of your master for the last time," He hissed, blue energy sparking at his fingertips.

Raz levitated into the air as well, green eyes flashing as he pressed two fingers to his forehead. "Fine. Let's end this."

With a great blast of blue and a similar streak of crimson, the battle began.

Unfortunately for Raz, it seemed his psi-blast was no match for Nereus' wave of power, and with a cry the teen was sent flying back to slam into a pew, the aged wood splintering. Raz let out a grunt, rolling to the side just in time to avoid another blast, then flipping to his feet as he returned fire. Once again, the blast of psychic energy had no effect on Nereus, whom simply deflected it with a flash of blue and a smirk.

"Is that honestly all you have for me, Aquato? Come now, stop acting like you're some kind of ordinary _Psychonaut!_" He sneered, sending forth another blast that Raz barely dodged.

"I _am_ a Psychonaut!" Raz grunted out as he skidded through the snow, using telekinesis to grab onto one of the broken pews and sending it flying towards Nereus.

Nereus snorted as the pew splintered against his shield. "A Psychonaut? Please. Even if you were, you cannot honestly believe that you can defeat the power of Indra when you're holding back so much of your own," He drawled, sending Raz flying telekinetically with a wave of his hand. Raz let out a cry as he slammed into the stone wall, though it was cut off as a pew slammed into him, causing an audioable 'crunch!' to ring throughout the room. Raz let out a groan as he slid to the floor, coughing up a bit of blood as his eyes slid out of focus for a moment.

"Come now, Razputin, what are you waiting for?" Nereus sneered as he floated down to Raz, a terrible grin flashing across his face. "You know you cannot hope to defeat me as you are! Go on! Show me the power of Vritra!"

Raz let out a hiss of pain as he glared up at Nereus, forcing himself to his feet. "No. I can't use that. It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous!?" Nereus cackled as he slammed Raz against the wall again. "You fool! If you don't use it, you'll die!"

"No... I won't..." The teen ground out, eyes narrowing as he focused on the ends of Nereus' trenchcoat. Just as they began to smolder, however, the snow seemed to rise up on it's own accord, putting the fire out.

Nereus chuckled "Come now, Razputin, hurry up. You and I know that I have the advantage here, with all the snow, but even so... you can do so much better," He said as he gestured behind him, causing the snow to gather together and rise up once again, twisting into some sort of giant, malformed shape. Finally, it seemed to form into the hand Raz knew so well, the fingers flexing threateningly. "Come now... unless you want to die."

Raz stared up at the hand, feeling his stomach drop. _'He's right... I really can't beat him like this...but I can't use all that power, I just can't! I can't control it, that's what got me into this mess in the first place!'_

"Time's up, Razputin!" Nereus sneered. "Pity, I would have thought you would have made a better opponent. Ah well... you've made your choice. Now DIE!" With that, the hand arched downward, reaching desperately for him, fingers flexing in preparation to crush him in a single blow.

Green eyes widened as the wall of white rushed for him and Raz let out a shout, squeezing his eyes shut. "NO!"

And when he opened them... he was no longer in the church. Rather, he was now standing in an endless dark abyss... and of course, before him was a door he knew all too well now.

"...Vritra," He murmured, gazing up at the gates of shimmering silver for a moment. Then, with a sigh, the teen stepped forward and grasped the handles.

The instant he did, he almost wanted to let go. The heat, the pain shooting up his arm, it was staggering! However, by some miracle, Raz held on... and then he heard the voice.

"**Child! Why have you come!?"**

Raz took a deep breath. "Because... I need you."

A laugh, low and terrible. **"Need me!? You were the one who locked me away in the first place!"**

"I know!" Raz cried. "I know... I locked you away. I was... I don't know."

"**Do you fear me?"**

"No!" Raz cried, gritting his teeth against the strain, swear beading on his forehead. At this, however, the heat from the door grew, the handle actually expelling flames, causing the teen to let out a shout.

"**DO YOU FEAR ME!? ARE YOU FRIGHTENED, CHILD!?"**

"YES!" Raz screamed, somehow keeping his grip on the handle of the door, even as his skin popped and blistered. "Yes, I fear you! I'm scared, of course I'm scared! What kind of idiot wouldn't be, after everything that's happened!? I'm fucking terrified!"

"**THEN WHY HAVE YOU COME!? HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME WITH YOUR PRESENCE!?"**

"BECAUSE I NEED YOU!"

The flames suddenly fell back for a moment, leaving all quiet as Raz stood there, panting for breath. "...I need you. Because... whether I like it or not... you are me. All this power, all this responsibility, all this pain... I shut you away, when I shouldn't have. Without you, without all this... I'm not really complete. And until I can accept that... until I can do that... I'll never be able to control you... and I need to be able to do that. Not just because I need your power, not just to defeat Nereus... but because I need to be able to be at peace with myself."

Silence.

"**What do you ask of me, child?"**

Raz let out a sigh as the heat from the door dulled to a more inviting warmth. "I need your power. I need your strength... because if I don't... Dad, Lili, Sasha, Milla, Oleander, Ford... everyone I care about, I'll lose them all. And that, above all else, is what I'm afraid of."

There was another silence... then a '_click'_ as something in the door finally gave.

"**It was always yours, Razputin."**

Raz smiled and pulled open the door.

There was a flash of fiery light... and then Raz's eyes shot open.

The teen once again found himself pinned against the church wall with his doom looming before him. However, just as the hand closed around him, the teen's eyes flashed a brilliant orange and flames burst to life around him, forming a shield and melting away the crushing snow in an instant, the resulting steam momentarily hiding the teen from view.

"Hm?" Nereus floated backwards, cocking his head to the side... and then his grin returned. "So then, you _do_ have some proper fight in you after all."

"Maybe I do," Raz growled as the steam parted, revealing the teen floating there, the ends of his trenchcoat billowing around him, his expression determined, sparks of fiery energy at his fingertips.

"Indeed, you've awoken the beast within... the question now is if you can control it," Nereus sneered.

"I think I'll manage, if that's what it'll take to beat you!" Raz snapped.

His opponent chuckled. "We shall see, Razputin. We shall see." With that, he sent forth a wave of blue energy. Raz easily dodged this by flipping over it, then charged at Nereus, letting loose a burst of orange with a cry. Nereus smirked and flipped out of the way... unfortunately, he wasn't able to dodge the second blast, which hit him squarely in the chest and sent him flying. The blond managed to right himself in midair, however, and he flashed a taunting grin at Raz before flying up and out through the few splinters that remained of the church ceiling. Raz grit his teeth and followed without a moment of hesitation, levitating with ease into the frigid sky.

It was in midair that the two clashed again, Nereus diving at Raz from above, a streak of silvery blue. Raz narrowly blocked the fistful of psychic energy aimed for his face, and with a snarl he ducked beneath Nereus' arm, flames erupting to life in his own hand as he lashed out at Nereus' stomach. Nereus, however, used Raz's shoulders as leverage to flip away from the fire, coming over the teen and spinning to kick his opponent in the face. Before the blow could connect Raz spun backwards as well, the wind from the kick brushing past him as he slammed a palm forward, energy sparking from within. He was stopped, however, by a crushing grip on his arm, which elicited a cry from the teen before his eyes narrowed and he flipped backward to send a kick into the Galochio's chest. This blow connected just as Nereus flung Raz away, causing both to go flying in opposite directions.

All this had happened in a matter of seconds.

Nereus righted himself in midair with a growl, the place where Raz had managed to kick him throbbing as he grinned. "You've gotten faster, Razputin."

"So have you," Raz growled, flexing his fingers as if to make sure his arm wasn't broken again. He then charged for Nereus, a blur of blinding orange. However, instead of engaging him in hand-to-hand combat again, this time Nereus dodged Raz and dove for the ground. Raz slowed to a stop in midair, blinking in confusion for a moment before his eyes narrowed. "Get back here!" He cried, diving after his opponent.

Quite suddenly Nereus pulled out of his dive, flipping up onto his back to smile at Raz as he fell towards the earth, blond hair whipping around his face. He crossed his forearms before him for a moment, his smile twisting into a smirk, and then gestured, hundreds of shards of ice shimmering into existence before shooting up towards Raz.

Raz's eyes widened and he let out a cry of surprise, pulling up out of his dive and shielding his face as the shards streaked towards him. Some zoomed past him, while others shattered on impact, their splinters scratching against his arms and face. Still others actually tore through his clothes frigid knives that embedded themselves into his flesh, drawing forth sharp flashes of pain before the wounds became numb from the cold.

When the ice had all cleared Raz lowered his arms and shook it all off, grimancing in pain as shards of crimson-stained ice tumbled down towards the earth. "Goddamnit..." He hissed, glancing around before he finally spotted Nereus, whom was still floating there, smirking at him before diving towards the ground again. Raz let out a growl and followed, the biting cold wind whipping past his face, the pull of gravity only adding to his insane speed.

The two sped towards the earth, pulling up mere feet from slamming into it. Nereus let out a cackle as he sped along the ground, the snow fanning out behind him as if it were water. Raz, coming up behind him, was forced to duck and weave as the snow formed into hands, grasping and batting for him. The teen let out a shout as one quite nearly snagged his ankle, though his attention remained firmly locked on his opponent. He was getting sick of this whole chase game very, very fast.

Growing frustrated, Raz glanced to the side for a moment, spotting a piece of what had once been a cabin roof laying on the ground. He reached out with telekinesis and with a snarl hurled it towards Nereus, the heavy piece of wreckage erupting in flames as it did so. "Hey Nereus, CATCH!" Raz cried.

Nereus glanced backwards for a moment, then smirked, pulling upwards and shooting into the air just in time to avoiding the projectile, which ended up smashing into pieces against the wall of another broken-down cabin. He landed on top of the roof of the same cabin, only to jump away a few seconds later as a blast of bright orange energy incinerated the place where he had been. Raz leaped up onto the same roof, dropping just in time to avoid an identical blast aimed for him. The goggle-headed teen let out a grunt before leaping after Nereus, crossing his forearms before him.

"You're not the only one who can do that trick!" He snarled as hundreds of balls of fire flared into existence, then rained down upon the blond. Nereus' eyes widened and he began to hop backwards from roof to roof, narrowly avoiding most of the comet-like storm but still unable to avoid all of them. He let out a shout as the flames caught upon his clothes, licking at his flesh before being doused by snow. Others still fell upon the wooden roofs he was jumping upon, forcing the blond to leap away to safety time and time again just as the cottages collapsed inward.

Finally, the flames disappated and Nereus landed upon one of the roofs, panting for a moment before sneering. "Your control over your powers is poor."

"Maybe, but some of it hit you, didn't it?" It was Raz's turn to smirk. "You don't like fire, do you?"

Nereus shot him a piercing glare for a moment before forcing his grin back into place. "What of it? Your flames have no place here." He cackled before gesturing, causing all of the snow around Raz to suddenly spring to life and converge around him as if to crush him. Raz sprung into the air with ease to avoid it, snatching up the flaming remains of one of the collapsed rooftops with telekinesis and flinging them at Nereus. Moments later he found himself leaping to the next building, narrowly avoiding those very same flaming ruins being hurled back at him. He wasn't, however, able to avoid the energy-filled palm that slammed into his side, eliciting a cry of shock from him as pain, so icy cold that it burned, spread across his ribs as he was sent skidding across the rooftop, splinters of wood flying everywhere.

Raz grunted in pain, forcing himself to roll to the side and leap to his feet just as a blue psychic fist smashed into where he'd been. He then jumped back, narrowly avoiding a kick to his already injured chest before ducking down and aiming his own kick at Nereus, whom dodged. The blond leaped across the rooftops, reaching out with one hand and twisting an already broken metal pole until it snapped with telekinesis, then sending it flying towards Raz. The Psychonaut dodged, fixing his opponent with a frustrated glare, all trace of his cockiness from his small victory earlier gone. With a snarl he leaped after Nereus, dodging another chunk of debris that was thrown at him as flames erupted to life in his palm.

"Take _that_!" He snarled, slamming his flaming fist into Nereus' jaw.

Nereus let out a grunt of pain as he reeled back, jade green meeting sapphire that shined with a twisted form of humor for a moment. Raz's eyes widened. _'He's... laughing!? He's still just toying with me!?' _Nereus hopped back, reaching up to wipe away the bit of blood that trickled along an already forming bruise.

"Well, what do you know, Razputin. You actually managed to make me bleed. It's fortunate I managed to shield myself from those flames of yours, it would be a pity for this face to actually be damaged," He sneered, cracking his neck.

"You bastard!" Raz snarled, rather angry by this point. "Stop fucking toying with me and laughing at me! Fight me for real, Galochio!"

Nereus' grin widened. "Are you sure you want that, Razputin?"

"Yes, damnit!"

A laugh. "As you wish."

And then quite suddenly Nereus was right up in his face and a psychic fist had slammed into his gut, sending Raz flying with a grunt of pain, only to slam into a kick to his back. Raz let out a grunt of pain as he tucked out of the fall and rolled to his feet, his hand snapping out on it's own accord to catch the energy-filled palm meant for his face. Triumphant green met sapphire and Nereus smirked before quite suddenly flicking his fingers, the energy exploding in Raz's face at point blank range. Raz let out a cry, reeling back, only just barely avoiding a kick that had been meant for his head. The teen shook his head as if trying to clear it, bringing up a shield just barely in time to deflect the concentrated beam of blue energy that had been aimed for his chest.

Raz grit his teeth as he struggled to keep the blast at bay, sweat beading his forehead. "Christ, he's strong," The Psychonaut hissed, shutting his eyes for a moment and concentrating. Just as Nereus' attack dissipated, Raz's shield exploded outward in a wave of fire, something which the blond ended up having to pull up his own shield to avoid.

"Not bad," He smirked as the flames and shield vanished. "Not good enough, however." That said, he quite suddenly sped at his opponent again, energy sparking to life in his palm. Raz, whom was still recovering from his last attack, was unable to do anything but stand there, arms coming up in an attempt to block. Nereus easily wove around this, however, and plunged his clenched fingers into Raz's stomach. His victim let out a cry of agony, jade green eyes widening and his entire body jerking as raw psychic power poured through him, sending every nerve on end with an impossible pain before leaving it all numb.

After what seemed like forever but had in fact been only a few seconds, Nereus released his captive. Raz stumbled back with a pained snarl, lashing out wildly at Nereus with a shaking hand and sending a burst of uncontrolled fire the blond's way. Nereus merely smirked as a wall of snow came up to protect him from the searing flames. The snow quickly turned to water under the intense heat... however, instead of falling the water remained hovering in the air, poising before Raz for a moment. The teen stared up at it, eyes widening in realization.

"Oh shit."

The water shot out and enveloped Raz in it's icy embrace, the Psychonaut not even being given the chance to cry out. He let out a shout as the water enveloped him, the air bubbles floating upwards for a surface that seemed so incredibly close and yet was impossible for him to reach. The teen writhed and thrashed against hands that he swore were coming from everywhere. Lacking any bottom to tug him down towards, the curse seemed content to merely wrap him in its slimy embrace like a mother cradling a child. Raz shook his head violently as he fought to hold his breath, the only sound filling his ears coming from the swirling of the liquid all around him. It was crushing in its weightlessness, squeezing the air from him, coaxing it from his lungs. Finally, Raz couldn't take it any longer. He let out the breath he was holding, a flurry of bubbles making their way for the surface.

Fortunately for him, at that moment the the force holding the water there was released, causing the great orb Raz had been trapped in to collapse open. However, instead of merely falling to the ground, the water instantly hardened into hundreds of thin, impossibly sharp needles. After floating there for a few moments, every single needle converged upon Raz, whom let out a choked cry as each of the frigid splinters of ice embedded themselves into his flesh.

Finally, the teen was allowed to drop to the snowy ground in a heap, his shoulders heaving as he gasped for breath, these efforts interrupted as the teen coughed up a mixture of water and blood. Raz let out a groan as he lay there, shivering, his soaked clothes already hardening and freezing in the cold air. Just as he made to attempt to get up, however, a pale hand grabbed him by the back of his frozen trenchcoat and hauled him into the air. Raz grunted, trying desperately to make some form of struggle, but it was as if everything in his entire body had gone numb save for the pain from his wounds. He could do nothing as he quite suddenly found himself hurled through the air, the sky and ground rushing past him in a blur of white and the soft red of sunset before he slammed right through a stone wall, the sound of shattering rock and crunching bone filling the air.

There was a loud 'thud!' as Raz connected with the frozen ground and skidded across it, tracing a crimson path in the layer of snow, his goggles cracking on impact. It seemed he had been thrown all the way back to the church. He lay there for a bit, heaving for breath, before desperately trying to force himself to his feet, only to let out a small cry as pale fingers entwined in his now frost-coated hair and tugged him upward to meet Nereus' triumphant grin. Raz stared at him for a moment, then let out a snarl, flames sparking to life around him for a moment... only to be stopped as he quite suddenly found himself telekinetically hurled into the air and slammed into the decorative cross at the head of the church. He struggled for a few moments, then hung there, panting weakly.

"Such a pity," Nereus murmured as he gestured, picking up a large, splintered, pointed piece of wood that had probably once been a part of a pew with telekinesis. He glanced over it for a moment, then gestured towards Raz, sending the piece of wood flying until it pierced through the teen's right wrist, eliciting a cry of pain from the boy. He then gestured with his other hand, picking up a piece of twisted metal. He looked over this as well, and, apparently deeming it satisfactory, sent it stabbing into Raz's other wrist.

Raz let out another howl of pain before hanging there from the cross, no longer held by telekinesis. He hung there, blood dripping into his eyes, clenching fists so frozen he could barely feel them, his clothes ripped and torn, his body a mess of gashes and bruises. Finally after a few moments he forced himself to raise his head, glaring at Nereus through glazed eyes. "Getting in all the ridiculously thick, corny religious symbolism that's been so absent from this adventure, I see," He grunted out sarcastically.

Nereus ignored the comment as he floated up to Raz. "Poor little Razputin... your powers are strong, yes, but without letting yourself go completely and giving way to Vritra's instinct, not nearly good enough. You have immense power, yes, but you don't know how to use it. I, on the otherhand, have had sixteen years to hone my skills. Worry not, my dear. It is hardly your fault... you simply weren't meant to defeat me," He murmured, reaching up to caress Raz's face. When Raz tried to jerk away, the blond merely grabbed the boy's jaw roughly. "No, no, Razputin. You need to learn to show proper respect when you look upon the face of your Master."

Raz shot him a weak glare and Nereus let out a sigh. "There it is again... that beautiful little spirit I cherish so. Such a pity that it always lands you here in a most unpleasant manner, doesn't it? Why can't you understand this? This is how it is meant to be, how it has been meant to be for centuries. You and I, Razputin... we are forever trapped together, two victims ever spiraling in fate's wake. You, meant to be the servent, and I..." Here Nereus quite suddenly slammed an energy-filled fist into Raz's stomach again, his grin widening as a weak cry of pain surfaced from his victim. "The Master."

After a few moments Nereus removed his hand and Raz hung there, shuddering as he glared at Nereus. He was getting so sick of ending up in this position, so sick of having to endure the same damn rant about "fate" and how Nereus was his "master" and all this pain. He was just so sick of it...

"And as your Master, I'm afraid sometimes discipline is necessary, " Nereus continued, oblivious to Raz's thoughts as he stroked the boy's face. "My poor, poor Razputin... if you did not feel the need to constantly misbehave, this wouldn't be needed... but it is in your nature, I suppose."

Raz's vision was beginning to dim, his wounds were hurting less and he was just so tired... the cold was starting to fade, leaving him with a dizzy, warm feeling. And even as his word dimmed he could hear Nereus' voice, and could feel some sort of fire sparking at it, wondering why he always had to listen to that voice, which had done nothing but hurt him all this time even as it whispered sickeningly sweet promises of love and redemption.

"You can fight against it all you want, Razputin. In the end the result will always be the same."

But why? Why was the result always the same? He was sick of it. Sick of hurting. Why did he have to bend to the will of something that didn't exist?

A sigh. "My poor, poor Razputin... come now, open your eyes."

Yes, he was sick of it. So why not... just hurt the voice back? He was tired of being hurt, so tired of pain... so why not give some back?

Again a hand reached out to caress, sapphire eyes deceptively gentle. "Come now, Razputin. Haven't you had enough of this? It's time to come home with your Master."

And then quite suddenly Raz's head jerked away from from Nereus' touch, jade green eyes flashing open, his pupils thinned to mere pinpoints as fire danced within. "No," He snarled, his voice taking on a deeper, more primal tone.

Raz then flexed his right arm, tugging it free with a wet_ 'snap!'_, sending crimson-soaked splinters of wood flying as he slammed the bloody palm against Nereus' chest. His lip curled as Nereus' eyes widened in surprise before the blond's face was obscured by an explosion that rocked the entire church, sending the Galochio flying across the room.

Nereus let out a cry of pain as he slammed through what still remained of the stone wall, then skidded across the snowy ground. He lay there for a moment, then shook his head and stood, watching in shock as the dust cleared from the remains of the church to reveal Raz standing there. The ice that had coated him earlier was gone, leaving him dry for the most part, although his clothes were still ripped, torn, and bloody. The scarlet liquid had completely saturated the torn arms of his trenchcoat and was still bubbling up from the wounds in his wrists, but Raz didn't seem to care. This was probably just as well, as after a few moments they quickly scabbed over on their own. The teen's expression was livid as he stood there, sparks flashing around him, fingers flexing as if they wanted to grab something and tear it to shreds.

"This is it, Nereus. I've had it," Raz growled as he stalked towards his tormentor. "I'm so Goddamn sick of you pushing me around."

The blond let out a laugh as he hopped backwards, once again summoning energy to his palms. "Is that so, Razputin? And really, do you think that's going to change anything?" With that, he fired the blast.

Raz merely held out his right hand, orange shield flickering to life for an instant and deflecting the blast before vanishing as Raz continued forward. "Yes," He growled, cracking his neck. "I do. I've had it with being your plaything. I'm not going back to that."

Nereus blinked, taking a few steps back. "Do you really think you have a choice in the matter, you insolent fool?" He sneered, though he was beginning to sweat.

"I think you already know the answer to that," Raz hissed, still advancing forward.

His opponent scowled, holding up his hands. "Well then, in that case I suppose I'll just have to smash this newfound little rebellion of yours!" He cried, sending forth a wave of azure energy. The blast rocked the entire area, collapsing several buildings nearby and sending dust everywhere. Nereus smirked, confident that he had won.

Which was why it really wouldn't have been a surprise to anyone watching as Raz quite suddenly appeared before Nereus, his eyes glowing. Nereus' eyes widened. "What the--" He was cut off as a blast of orange energy struck him in the chest, sending him flying into the air with a cry. This was cut off as a kick slammed into his back, the force enough to knock him back towards earth before a psychic claw caught him in the side, slashing away bits of his trenchcoat and cleaving thick red lines across his stomach. The blond didn't even have a chance to cry out as a blow struck him in the back of the head, finally sending him crashing back to earth.

Nereus let out a groan as he lay there for a moment, then shakily made his way to his feet to meet Raz's smoldering eyes. The blond let out a growl, reaching out with his mind to grab a piece of the stone wall from the church and throw it at Raz with telekinesis. "No, Nereus. I've had enough of this. This time, it's my turn to hurt you," Raz said, once again blocking Nereus' attack with ease before sending forth a blast that enveloped the blond.

When the energy cleared, Nereus let out a hiss of pain, glancing up in time to see hundreds of shards of stained glass from the church windows floating before him, glittering in the light of sunset. The blond's eyes widened as Raz smirked. "Looking familiar, Galochio?" That said, he gestured, sending the shards flying towards his enemy with the tinkle of hundreds of pieces of broken glass. Nereus let out a cry, reaching up to shield himself the best he could as the shards rained down upon him, a hail of color. Just as his own attack had done with Raz, some missed, while others just grazed him, slicing through silvery material, whereas many simply embedded themselves into his flesh.

After what seemed like forever, the glass stopped. Nereus cracked open one eye, only to see the very debris he'd flung at Raz come flying at him, sending the blond crashing through the nearest wall. Fortunately, this time Nereus was able to at least flip and land on his feet, though he stumbled, disoriented. The blond glanced around, panting for breath, sweat and blood matting his hair, sapphire eyes wide as the cottage rumbled around him... and then quite suddenly it collapsed inward. "GAH!" The Galochio cried out, his shield coming up just in time to protect himself.

When the dust settled, Nereus allowed his shield to drop, his entire body shaking. "How did Aquato...? So much power..." He murmured.

"Well, what did you expect?" A voice hissed from behind him. "You treat people the way you do, sooner or later it's gonna come back to haunt you. I would have figured you of all people would know that, Nereus."

Sapphire eyes widened and Nereus let out a shout, lashing out wildly and sending a blast behind him before zipping into the air, the ends of his trenchcoat billowing, the cold air stinging his wounds. He only made it so far, however, before a fist quite suddenly slammed into his jaw with a loud 'crack!', sending stars flashing before his eyes.

"That was for all the Goddamn dreams!" Raz snarled.

Nereus spit out a mouthful of blood, eyes wide as a kick slammed into his side, sending him spiraling through the air.

"That was for all the shit you've made me put my friends through!"

The blond let out a cry as he tried to right himself... only for his cry to turn into a full-blooded scream as he quite suddenly found Raz's clenched fingers twisting into his stomach, orange psychic energy searing through him on contact.

"And this is for messing so much with my fucking head!"

After several seconds Raz released Nereus and pulled away, allowing his victim to drop the long way to the ground. The blond hit the earth with a heavy 'thud!', where he remained sprawled out in the snow. Really, Raz could have just bound him and left it at that. By this point Nereus wouldn't be able to do much, now that the tables had been turned. He could just tie Nereus up and wait for his friends to get there so he could take the madman back to headquarters and get everything straightened out. Normally, that's what he would have done, plain and simple. But this wasn't normal. Raz found he did not want to stop. A dark satisfaction, a thrill was pumping through his veins, the after effects of finally being able to hurt the blond back. He felt that... and he found that though a small voice in his head was insisting he needed to stop... he didn't want to. After all Nereus had put him through... it wouldn't be right to just leave it at that... would it?

With that in mind, Raz floated down to his victim. He grinned as he reached out with his mind and hauled his opponent into the air with telekinesis, then slammed him face first into a wall with a loud 'crunch!' before pulling him back. Nereus' head lolled to one side, blood gushing from a broken nose, the broken ribs beneath his skin jutting out and twisted in all the wrong places, sapphire eyes glazed. After a few seconds the blond forced his head up as he stared at Raz, whom was smirking as he pulled back one of the blond's arms will telekinesis.

"What... what're you--"

_'SNAP!'_

"AUUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHH!"

"This is for everything... all the pain you put me through, all those things you made me do, every last damn thing! I'm done being toyed with!" Raz gave a dark smirk as he twisted the arm back further. "Don't worry, it'll heal. Eventually. Pity healing wasn't included in that package when it came to all your amazing powers, hm?" He added in a sickeningly sweet tone.

Nereus let out a choked gasp of pain, his face contorted into an expression of agony. "I-I... Razputin... GAH!" He let out a cry as his entire body was twisted around.

Raz grinned, twitching his fingers like some kind of vengeful puppet master. "Begging isn't going to save you, Galochio. It's my turn." That said, he clenched his hand into a fist, watching with twisted glee as flames enveloped the blond, whom let out a howl. The blond writhed in the flames, trying desperately to get away from the burning heat that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Silvery material blackened and withered, hair curled, skin that was exposed cracked and blistered.

"Don't worry, Nereus. I won't let you die from this yet." Raz murmured, orange flashing in his eyes, the glow from the fire casting a dark light upon a horrible grin... not unlike Nereus at all.

"We still have a long, long way to go."

--

It was at that moment that Lili suddenly stumbled and reached up to grasp at her heart, amber eyes widening. "Raz..." She whispered, her fingers twisting in the material of her shirt in an attempt to grab at the pain that had suddenly shot through her.

"Watch out, darling!" Lili blinked, head shooting up just in time to spot one of Nereus' goons coming for her, aiming a blue psychic fist for her head. Fortunately for her, Milla quite suddenly dropped out of the sky, kicking him with a stiletto heel and sending him flying.

"Are you okay, darling?" The Brazilian asked as she landed on the ground, glancing towards Lili. The teen shook her head.

"Something's wrong with Raz," She said as she dodged a blast from another soldier, then quickly set him and several of his colleagues on fire. Though their numbers were thinning, there were still many of them.

"You feel it too?" Ford muttered as he sent forth a volley of psiblasts.

"Something's happened to the kid," Oleander grunted as he ducked low to the ground to avoid a blast, his psychic shield flaring up, spikes flashing from it as well to impale the soldier who attempted to body slam it.

"I feel it as well," Sasha stated as he pressed two fingers to his temple, sending forth a small wave of dark blue energy that took down all the soldiers near him. "Something is wrong."

Lili swallowed and nodded, casting a nervous glance up towards the village.

"Well now, what are you still doing here?" Ford asked.

"Huh?" Lili blinked.

"We can handle things here, soldier! Go on, someone's gotta make sure the kid hasn't killed himself!" Oleander cried.

"You heard him, baby! Go on, run to your man!" Milla said with a grin.

Lili blinked again and then nodded, hands clenching into fists at her sides. "Right, thanks guys." She said, then turned and sprinted her way up the snowy path, pigtails fanning out behind her.

Sasha rolled his eyes. "Ah, young love," He murmured, dodging a psiblast and firing a round of his own. "So ridiculously stupid."

"So what, are you saying we're stupid, darling?" Milla said as she flipped backwards, kicking out and knocking back several of her attackers.

"I... What!?" Sasha sputtered, quite nearly taking a hit. "Agent Vodello, we are not _young_!"

"But we're in love?" Milla grinned as she glanced back over her shoulder at him.

Sasha felt his face go red as he struck out with his psychic fist, jumping back as he did so. "I... yes... maybe... I-- Milla, now is not the time!"

"Oh, you know you love me, baby!" Milla giggled as she hopped back as well, landing so the two were back to back. "Twenty years of bliss!"

"Agent Vodello!" Sasha sputtered, looking completely and totally flustered.

"Sasha, Milla, come on! Now is not the time to be flirting!" Ford cried, though he was grinning his head off.

"'WE ARE NOT FLIRTING!" Sasha cried, going red.

Milla outright laughed at this. "I love you too, darling! Now come on, let's dance!" She said, thrusting out a gloved hand, which Sasha rolled his eyes and grasped.

"Yes, let's," He murmured.

With that, the two began to move together, almost as if they were indeed dancing, taking out all attackers nearby with well placed kicks and attacks, each swinging the other out of the way in time to avoid being hurt. Sasha twirled Milla with ease while she met his movements in perfect time, both working with the fluid grace of people who had worked together for years. Finally, after a minute or so of this the two sprung apart.

"Good job, darling!" Milla gushed.

"Excellent as always, Milla," Sasha remarked.

"You know you love me, baby." The Brazilian Psychonaut winked before leaping out of the way of yet another attack.

Sasha shook his head, though a small smile came to his face. "Indeed I do."

--

Blood. It was everywhere, coating broken walls and shattered windows, staining the pure white snow a horrific crimson. Most of the village had been reduced to naught but ruins at this point, the sun nearly gone behind the horizon. It had soaked through thick silvery material and tan, both trenchcoats heavy with the liquid, spilt from both sides. Glazed sapphire met livid green, both psychics panting for breath, the wind sending torn clothes and matted hair billowing. While Raz seemed to have the upper hand now, Nereus had managed to get in a few of his own shots, and even with his healing abilities, Raz was running out of energy. The two were clearly both nearly spent.

"So, it's come to this, hm, Aquato?" Nereus murmured, his voice weak, cracked blue goggles placed upon his head. He wasn't even levitating on his own now, rather, Raz was holding him by the front of his trenchcoat, keeping them both high above the ground. "Funny... I didn't think you were the type... I suppose that just proves how alike we are."

"I am _nothing _like you," Raz hissed, his fist clenching around the bloodsoaked material in his hands.

Nereus gave a harsh laugh. "Say what you will, Razputin. Say what you will. Even so... it's a hollow pleasure, revenge... isn't it? My suffering doesn't really help, does it?"

"Shut up." Raz snapped.

"But you know I'm right... in the end, what have you solved? This doesn't change everything you have done... and you're still perpetuating the very cycle you claimed to be free from. I will die, but the guilt you feel... that will remain forever. There will be nothing you can do to free yourself from it... and in the end, you will die, alone in your despair, still calling yourself a hero when you know the term stopped applying to you ages ago, " Nereus sneered.

"SHUT UP!" Raz snarled, pulling back his fist, energy sparking within it. "I DON'T CARE!"

It was this sight that Lili beheld when she finally caught sight of her boyfriend, both he and his enemy drenched in blood, Nereus with an almost triumphant smirk as Raz pulled back a fist, preparing a killing blow, his face a mask of primal rage.

And it was in seeing this that she saw what Raz could not.

Amber eyes widened in horror as Raz's fist shot forward. "RAZ! NO, STOP!" She screamed.

Raz's eyes widened, his fist stopping mere inches from his enemy's face. "Lili?"

Lili shook her head. "Stop, Raz! Stop! This... this is all wrong! You've got to stop!"

Her boyfriend scowled. "What the hell are you talking about!? How could you be opposed to me killing this bastard, after all he's done!? You should be cheering me on!" He snarled.

"Indeed she should be. Foolish woman, she has no idea what she wants," Nereus wheezed.

Again, Lili shook her head. "No, Raz, no... it's not about him. Don't you see what you're doing? By killing him... you're ending up just like him. By doing this, you're turning into a monster... and that's just what he wants!"

Raz blinked, his grip on Nereus' coat loosening slightly. "...Just like... him?"

"I thought you were going to finish me, Aquato," Nereus sneered. "What are you waiting for? Go on, kill me! Don't you want to see me suffer after all this?"

"Be quiet, Galochio," Raz growled, his fist tightening again, energy sparking anew.

"Don't do it, Raz," Lili said. "He's not worth it."

"Not worth it!?" Nereus laughed. "I deserve it, don't I? After everything I've done to you, after all the suffering I've put you through... surely you aren't so weak that you would falter here. How pathetic."

"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!" Raz cried, reaching up to clutch at his forehead with his free hand. "I just... shut up and let me think!"

There was a silence for a few seconds. Then Lili spoke, uncharacteristically quiet. "Raz... be Raz, not him."

A few seconds ticked by...and then Raz swallowed, gazing down at her as he lowered his hand. "...I did promise," He murmured before levitating slowly to the ground. Once he was close enough, he tossed Nereus to the side, though his gaze remained on Lili.

Nereus landed on the ground in a heap, then let out a growl as he forced himself to his feet. "Wait! Razputin, what are you doing!? You're supposed to kill me! Whatever happened to you being sick of being pushed around? Don't I deserve to die? What happened to the entire 'your turn' business? You pathetic fool, what happened to making your own choice!?"

Raz looked to him for a moment, then gave a small grin. "Nothing happened to it. This is my choice."

"Is that so?" Nereus scowled, his hair falling into his eyes, all traces of his weakness from earlier gone, in its place a growing fury. "In that case, you have chosen to die!" With that, he sent forth a wave of blue energy.

Raz let out a shout, his shield flaring up to protect Lili and himself. When the snow had cleared, Nereus had flown into the sky. Lili stared up at him, her eyes wide.

"Holy crap... it's like freaking Dragonball Z or something, it never ends!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, no kidding..." Raz let out a sigh as he flexed his fingers, trying to ignore the way his vision swam. With all his anger from earlier gone, he just felt drained... but he had to keep fighting.

"Raz..." Lili murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. The teen glanced back at her and grinned.

"Don't worry, I won't die. I promised, right?"

Lili blinked, then smiled. "Right. Go get him."

With a nod and a thumbs up, Raz shot into the air after Nereus for the last time.

"Well, Razputin, this is it," Nereus said over the wind. "I've tried. I've given you chance after chance to see the light... and it seems no matter what I do, you refuse to listen. Therefore, I have no choice. I am going to use all my power to destroy you. If I cannot have you, then no one can."

Raz stared at him for a moment, then smirked, sliding into his fighting stance. "Bring it on."

Nereus snorted. "Insolent fool," That said, he clenched his hands into fists, gritting his teeth, brow furrowing in concentration. After a few moments tendrils of blue energy began to appear around him, mere droplets at first that slowly formed into full on mini currents, twisting and lengthening, extending from his body like writhing snake. These quickly twirled together, extending into arms and legs, becoming a full marrionette of psychic energy, Nereus at the center of it all.

After a minute the transformation was finally complete and Nereus threw back his head with a yell, the beast he had created letting out a great and terrible roar.

Raz watched this, blinking. "...Wow," He finally commented. "This really is like DBZ."

"What do you think, Razputin? Does this frighten you? Gaze upon the true power of Indra!" Nereus cackled. "Perhaps, had you kept your rage, you would have been able to compete, but as you are you can never hope to defeat me! Gaze upon my power and quake in fear, you fool!" However, instead of having the desired effect, as Nereus' speech continued on Raz began to laugh, very, very hard. Upon hearing the teen's laughter Nereus scowled. "What is so funny!?" He snarled.

"You think that's so great?" Raz snickered, clutching at his stomach. "Please. I've been doing that trick for years!"

"Is that so?" Nereus drawled. "Then prove it, you fool!"

His opponent smirked. "Gladly."

With that, he threw back his head and screamed. Just as with Nereus, flames began to erupt around the teen, extending from his arms and legs in great tongues of fire. These eventually formed into a giant version of himself, much like Nereus. Raz floated at the center, grinning triumphantly.

Nereus sneered at this, sapphire eyes narrowing. "So you have your own beast. It hardly matters. I am through playing games."

"I think you've already said that, man," Raz pointed out.

"SILENCE!" Nereus snarled. "Destiny is at hand! The time to decide is now! Who will be the ones to survive, my righteous clan, or your group of spineless demonic fools!?" The blond cried. "I will combine all of my power into one attack... and in that single attack, I will finish you!"

"Not if I do it first!" Raz growled.

Nereus smirked. "Is that challenge?"

"Damn straight!" Raz snapped. He was getting tired of fighting.

Nereus nodded. "Very well then. Aquato or Galochio, who is stronger? It is time that we finished this age old war, wouldn't you say, brother?"

"Let's do it," Raz murmured grimly.

With that, the two both shut their eyes in concentration, their energy building around them, both creatures becoming brighter and brighter, until the darkness of dusk was cast away by the brilliant sapphire and orange light. The light grew brighter and brighter, becoming almost blinding...then quite suddenly withdrew upon itself, all gathering within the forms of the ones it all came from. The giant extensions of power vanished into their masters with a cry, until at last all that surrounded the two of them were the brilliant glows of their respective colors, the two hanging in the sky like great beacons of silver and gold.

From where she stood watching, Lili's eyes widened, her hands coming up to grip at her head. "Oh my God... so much power... it's too much..."

Finally, two sets of eyes snapped open, both glowing pure white. Both Raz and Nereus took a deep breath, preparing to finally unleash their attacks...

"RAZPUTIN!" A voice suddenly cried out from below. Lili looked from the great battle going on up above her to up the path, where Sasha, Milla, Oleander and Ford were all rushing to make it to where the fighting was going on. "Razputin, STOP!" Sasha cried again. "You have to stop this, if you use that much power at once the results would be catastrophic!"

"He's right! You wiped out an entire city without trying before, what do you think will happen if you do this!? Stop, you idiots!" Ford cried.

"STOP!"

Raz glanced down at his friends, an expression of horror coming to his face as he stopped. "WHAT!?" He cried. Nereus, on the other hand, did not stop. With a scream the wave of silver energy was set loose, the entire earth below him shaking as it spread outward, the entire sky lighting up.

Green eyes widened and Raz let out a shout, quickly expanding all the energy he had been gathering to meet Nereus', not in an attack, but rather, in a shield. The golden light shot outward, trying desperately to spread out around the two of them, containing both Raz and his nemesis within a great ball of psychic energy.

It was fortunate that he did... mere seconds after the shield was formed, trapping both psychics within it, the two energies met. There was no noise. No great boom, no great sensation, nothing. Just the deafening, terrifying moments of silence as Raz and Nereus hung there, Raz's eyes widening in horror, hearing his heart pumping in his ears.

An explosion of white light filled his senses, and for a moment he swore he heard Lili screaming his name...

Raz knew no more after that.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Well, there you go guys. What do you think? ...Wait...why are you picking up those torches and pitchforks? ...W-wait, no! I can't write if you tear off my face for the cliffhanger! Wait, no, GAAAH!_

_Review if you want to see if Raz actually lived or not...or, you know, if you want to yell at me. I'd better run before anyone figures out where I live and comes after me! (runs)_


	19. Follow Your Heart

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Nineteen: Follow Your Heart**

**--**

_And then we only had a few chapters go until this fic was over, yaaaay. This is the fifth chapter before I finally finish this fic, woot. Originally this one, chapter twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two were meant to be one chapter but things got way, way, _way_ too long. Ah well, that just means more for you guys to read, right?_

_I will warn you that there are still more clichés coming... but hey, considering what's came prior to all this you really shouldn't be surprised. I told you this was essentially Psychonauts The Anime, didn't I?_

_Right... well, not much else to say. On with the fic?_

_Suggested listening music is _Me, I Am Here _from _.hack/G.U. (Track 20) _for the first scene, followed by _Kingdom Hearts Above The Rising Falls OC Remix _by _Sephfire (Track 21)_ or _Opening Demo (Track 23). _Use_ Letter - from The Lost Days_ from _Silent Hill 3 (Track 22)_ for the flashbacks._

--

_It was the dream again. It was the dream, Raz was sure of it. It was the dream, one of the ones he could never remember, the ones where he could not see, could not hear, and could not feel. One of the ones where it was cold and quiet and dark, and the voice would whisper in his ear and taunt him, cackle over the fact that he was completely and utterly alone._

_No... that wasn't quite right. That wasn't quite right, because although it was dark... it wasn't cold at all. In fact, it was warm, comfortingly so, as if he'd been placed before a roaring fire. And no, it wasn't quiet either... he could hear the soft humming of a song in his ears, a lullaby of sorts. There was no voice laughing, either... merely soft fingers that brushed across his face and stroked his hair... and although Raz did not know their source, he was comforted to know that he was not, in fact, alone._

"_...Where am I?" He asked with great effort, his voice ringing through nothingness._

_A soft, gentle laugh. "You are here," A woman's voice said softly, clearly the same as the one who had been singing._

"_...Am I dead?" Raz asked, his voice sounding strange to his ears._

**-Razputin...-**

"_Do you think you are?" The voice asked gently. It had a soft, comforting quality to it, though it seemed to speak of a hidden wisdom without words._

"_I... don't know," The red-haired boy frowned. "I don't... no, I don't think I am."_

"_Then you are not dead, Razputin," The voice said simply, sounding so very familiar._

_Raz didn't have the energy to give a response to that, he just hung there in the comforting blackness, eyes closed._

**-Razputin...-**

_It seemed like ages before Raz spoke again. "This place... is nice. I think I could stay here forever... it's so warm, and I'm just..." He trailed off, the ache of his wounds making themselves known again, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, a dull, muted pain._

"_..I'm so tired, mom," He whispered, voice cracking._

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

_A soft, sympathetic smile that he could not see, long red hair shadowing clear green eyes. "I know, Razputin. I know."_

"_I don't want to fight anymore... I just want to rest..." Raz murmured, fighting back tears. "I'm just... I can't do this anymore, mom. I'm not strong enough. I tried, but just... I can't..."_

"_Shhh, it's alright..." Warm hands threaded gently through his hair, soothing. "I know, it's hard... and your father and I are so proud of everything you've done. For the world, for our family, for our past... for everything."_

**-Razputin...please...-**

"_I know, I know... but I'm so tired," The boy whimpered. "It hurts, mom..."_

_Fingers paused in their gentle movements, sorrow etching itself upon a face Raz could not see. "Razputin... you've done so much... you don't have to go back," The voice murmured._

"_...I don't?"_

_There was a moment of silence. "...The task you set out to do... the task to protect the world... this task is complete, Razputin. Technically... if you truly wish to rest now, you can."_

"_...I can rest," Raz repeated quietly, feeling his heart rise at these words. "No more fighting... I can rest..." He let out a small laugh. "I can't believe it... I..."_

**-Razputin... help me...-**

_The boy paused, his laughter dying in his throat. "That voice..."_

_His companion said nothing, though he could sense a grim shadow befalling her._

"_That voice... it's calling me, isn't it?"_

"_...Yes."_

_The teen felt his heart sink, as if it were being chained back down to earth._

**-Help me...-**

_Raz hung there for a moment, taking a shaking breath. "I'm so tired, and I just want to rest... but I'm not finished, am I? I still have things... I need to do."_

_Silence for a few moments. "...There are still things left, yes."_

_Raz let out another shaking breath, his voice coming out somewhere between a sigh and what was almost a sob. "I knew it..."_

"_Razputin... Razputin... shh..." His mother's voice soothed, fingers once again caressing his face. "You have a choice, Razputin. Either you go back and continue your journey...or you go onward with me."_

"_..Go with you," Raz murmured. "Or go back to all that pain... to a place where I've done so many terrible things... to everything..." He bit his lip, taking in a deep breath._

"_The choice is yours, Razputin."_

_Raz bit his lip. "I want... I want to stay..." He whispered quietly. It was true, he never wanted to leave this place, this warmth, this comfort and safety that he hadn't known since childhood. He wanted this, he wanted to stay, he wanted..._

**-Razputin...-**

"_...But I can't," He finally murmured. "I can't... just leave it all like this. There are still things I have to do... I can't leave everyone behind like this. I can't..." The teen shook his head. "And besides...I promised."_

_A smile. "I figured as much. I would expect no less from my son."_

_Raz gave a small chuckle. "I guess so."_

"_I love you, Razputin..."_

"_I... I love you too, mom. I miss you."_

"_I know."_

**-Help me... please, please help me...-**

_His mother's hands rested upon his face, warm and comforting, somehow giving him strength. "Well then, Razputin... it's time for you to go. There is someone right now who needs you far more than you could imagine."_

_Raz's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"_

_Silence for a moment. "You will understand soon enough... now go, my son. I love you."_

"_Go? But... how do I leave?" Raz asked, confusion in his tone._

_A laugh, almost like wind chimes. "Simple enough, my boy. Just open your eyes," With that, a kiss was planted upon Raz's forehead._

_The teen let out a gasp, his jade green eyes flew open, and he was assaulted with a ray of blinding light..._

_--_

"RAZ!"

Lili's scream echoed through the entire mountain, the last noise before the white light became so much that everyone had to shield their eyes. There was a silence... and then the heavy sound of two bodies dropping to the snowy earth.

_'No. Nononononono!'_

The single word repeated itself over and over in Lili's mind as she stood, the light fading before her eyes. The brunette slowly allowed her arm to drop to her side, squinting against the dying brightness, her entire body going numb.

_'Please, please, don't...'_

There was definitely a form clad in green slumped upon the ground.

"No," The word came out in a gasp as amber eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "No..." She shook her head and gritted her teeth, charging towards the body, snow crunching beneath her boots, her fellow Psychonaut's protests falling on deaf ears. She fell to her knees next to the body, reaching out and grasping at blood-soaked material, tugging the body so she could get a look at his face.

_'No...nonono...please...no...'_

The boy was stone cold, his face an ashen gray, green eyes staring sightlessly into the twilight. She couldn't sense anything from him, even touching his bare skin. Not the barest hint of emotion, feeling..._ life._

"Raz," The name hurt to say, hurt to gasp out over the lump forming in her throat, the brunette's normally powerful voice cracking. "No... Raz... no... please..." She gave him a light shake. "Please, wake up."

"Razputin!" Milla was the first to finally reach the two of them, skidding to a stop in the snow once she got close enough, emerald eyes widening. "Razputin... he's not..."

"Raz!" Lili repeated, shaking him again as tears came to her eyes. "Come on, wake up... you promised, you stupid idiot! Wake up!" She cried.

Sasha knelt down beside her in the snow, taking a hold of the boy's wrist and frowning. After a moment he spoke. "He has a pulse... just barely, however," The German stated, brow furrowing. The other agents all let out breaths they'd been holding, consciously or not. "But I do not understand... I cannot feel a single trace of life in him, other than that. His psychic signature, his aura... it's gone," Sasha murmured.

"Gone? That's not possible... if it were completely gone, he'd be dead, Sasha," Ford said, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"Maybe that means he's close to being just that," Oleander muttered.

"Morry!" Milla cried.

"What!? I don't like the idea either, Milla, but we can't--"

"Shut up!" Lili snapped, cutting them off. "He's not dead and he's not dying! He has to be here somewhere, I know he is! He just can't be..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "No! Just... just shut up!"

All was quiet for a moment, the only sounds coming from Lili's panicked breathing and the mountain winds whipping past. Then Ford spoke.

"Well... where's the Galochio boy?"

"What?" Milla blinked, then her eyes widened. "Oh!" She had completely forgotten, and judging from everyone else's reactions, they had as well. The entire group glanced around, searching... fortunately, they didn't have far to look.

A small distance away, Nereus hung in midair. His arms hung at his sides, pale fingertips several feet from the frozen ground, the ends of his tattered trench coat and scarf draping off of him. Silvery blond hair fanned around his face, sapphire eyes staring sightlessly ahead, face expressionless. Occasionally the air around him would give a small crackle.

"...Well, gee, how did we miss something like that?" Ford commented as he slowly stepped around Raz and Lili, making his way over to the floating teen.

"Indeed... especially with all of this psychic energy coming off of him," Sasha muttered as he stood and walked over as well, brow furrowing deeper, completely oblivious to Milla and Oleander following.

The four stopped a few feet before the blond, regarding him in confused silence for a few seconds... then Milla reached a gloved hand to touch him.

"No!" Sasha reached out and caught her wrist. "Don't touch him. Can't you feel it... the power?"

Milla gazed at Nereus for a moment before nodding. "Yes, but... he seems so..." She trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence. Even so, she could feel it, radiating off of the blond in waves so intense it hurt her to look directly at him.

Pain. So much pain. But that wasn't all...

"One hell of a piece of work, isn't he?" Ford murmured grimly. "I don't think we could get close enough to do anything even if we wanted to... and if we did, I think any sort of contact would be enough to kill you."

"Yeah... but that's not all," Oleander spoke up. "You guys can feel it, can't ya?"

Milla nodded. "Razputin..."

"That's where his aura, his essence, everything is," Sasha said. "In fact, I believe he may be trapped inside Nereus' psyche..."

"Nereus'... psyche?" Lili's voice was so quiet it could barely be heard from Raz's side, but it was there.

Sasha nodded. "Both of them were exposing the very limits of their power. I believe the shock has caused Nereus' mind to draw in on itself, and took Razputin, consequently, along with it."

"So it's like what happened when mine and Raz's minds were in the Brain Tank?" Oleander asked.

"Not exactly," Sasha shook his head. "Their psyches are not combined, I believe that Razputin is merely trapped inside Nereus' mind... however, at the moment, with all that power loose inside of his psyche, I fear that Nereus Galochio'smind may be on the verge of collapse. If that is the case... Razputin will go right along with him when it does."

"'What!?" Lili cried, standing. "Well, we have to do something! I... we'll go inside Nereus' head after him! We'll help him get out!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Zanatto. I am afraid we can't do that."

"Why not!?" Lili snapped, stalking over to the group. "I have a psi-portal, all we have to do is--"

"Lili, Sasha's right," Ford said, putting out a hand to stop the girl from going further. "With the way that boy's mind is right now, if any of us got close enough to him to form a connection, whoever did it would probably go insane."

"I don't care!" The brunette exclaimed, trying to push past Ford and make her way to Nereus. "I have to help Raz!"

"Darling, please!" Milla cried, holding her back as well. "I know you want to help Razputin, believe me, I do as well... but it's too great a risk. None of us are of any use to him at all if we lose our own minds."

Lili struggled against Ford and Milla for a moment, then finally fell still. "But... what can we do? We have to help him somehow..."

Sasha shook his head. "There is nothing we can do. This is something Razputin will have to do on his own."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

"Wait," Ford suddenly spoke. "Even when projecting his psyche into another mind, his body should still have some form of psychic signature..."

"Ford's right... it should, but it doesn't," Milla said.

"Indeed... Razputin's entire essence is trapped within Nereus' psyche..." Sasha murmured.

"But wait... without that signature... won't Raz _die_!?" Lili cried, her eyes widening in realization.

"This is true... without that, Razputin's body will cease to function," Sasha said slowly.

Oleander's eyes widened as well. "Oh... shit."

With that, the entire group ran back over to Raz, each dropping to their knees around him, expressions of panic etched across their faces as Sasha took his pulse again. The wind sent their frozen hair and coats whipping around them, but the psychics ignored the cold in favor of their friend.

"His pulse is even fainter than before... this is not good," The German murmured after a moment, brow furrowing.

"What do we do!?" Lili cried, amber eyes wide. "Even if he does manage to get himself out of Nereus' head... damnit, what do we do!?"

"This has never happened before... I'm not sure what to suggest," Ford muttered, rubbing his chin.

"You mean he's going to die!?" Lili shrieked.

"Now now, hang on, I didn't say that just yet!" Ford exclaimed. "Honestly, you kids, always jumping to conclusions..."

"Shut up!" Lili snapped.

Ford shook his head. "Well... I suppose we could all try transferring some of our psychic energy to him."

Oleander frowned. "What are you babbling about?"

"You mean like... some kind of psychic blood transfusion?" Milla asked, looking confused.

"Well, I guess that's one way to put it. He has no signature... so if we just work on giving him some of ours until he returns to his body..." Ford trailed off. "Well, I'm not sure if it'll work..."

"Indeed... it would be quite taxing on our own psyches as well," Sasha said, gazing down at Razputin.

"I don't care!" Lili snapped, trying to ignore the way tears were welling up in her eyes again. "I don't care if I die... just as long as he lives."

Milla nodded "If it would be enough to keep him alive... it doesn't matter to me."

"Well... after everything he's done... I owe this kid my life," Oleander muttered gruffly.

"And I as well," Sasha murmured.

Ford glanced around the group for a moment. "So... we're all gonna give this a shot, then?"

Lili nodded solemnly. "Anything to save him. Anything." The others all gave nods of agreement.

"Whoa... what the hell happened here?" The group glanced up to see the three agents they had been fighting with earlier running up the slope. Agent Brown was glancing around the area, his eyes wide. "Christ... I've seen a lot of messes but this place looks like a bomb went off here."

"Well, I suppose that's one way of putting it," Oleander muttered.

"Is that the blond guy!?" Agent Reneike exclaimed, her eyes wide as she gaped at Nereus. She took a step towards him, then scowled as she was held back telekinetically. "Sasha!" She snapped. "What, first we can't take Aquato in, now you're protecting other pschopaths as well!"

Sasha shook his head. "It is a very dangerous situation, Agent Reneike, I'm afraid I must ask you to stop. If you touch him, you could very well cause his mind to shut down, as well as your own."

The woman scowled, but held still.

Ford gave an irritated sigh. They really did not have time for this. "I take it you guys showing up means Nereus' men are taken care of, then?"

Agent Smith nodded as he came to a stop near the group. "They have been captured... a few managed to escape, but I doubt it will take that much effort to find them. Without their leader, they seem to be a rather pathetic lot. At any rate, we have more important matters to deal with... what has happened to Agent Aquato?" He asked, glancing down at Raz.

Agent Brown scowled as he gazed down at the boy. "Looks like he got knocked out... why don't we just take him in, Smith!? This is our chance!" He exclaimed.

The older agent, however, remained silent as he looked to Ford.

Ford shook his head. "If you must known, Razputin was fighting blondie there... long story short, they reached a stalemate, there were explosions of psychic energy and now Razputin is currently trapped within that psycho's mind."

Agent Reneike's eyes widened. "What!?" She gasped. "But... why haven't you all gone in to rescue him, then!?"

Milla shook her head. "We can't do that, darling. If we do, we could hurt them both. All we can do is hope Razputin will make it through on his own," She said grimly.

"But..." Agent Brown gazed down at Raz, brow furrowing. "He looks _dead_!"

Lili scowled. "Well, that's what he's going to be if you guys don't shut up and let us help him!"

Ford nodded. "She's right. He's losing his energy fast... if we don't help, he'll die."

Agent Brown scowled. "Then just... let us take him back to the agency! Come on!" He snapped, apparently irritated that they had yet to actually do much that was useful.

""Harry... I don't think he'd survive the trip," Reneike admitted softly as she gazed down at the unconscious Raz.

The young man scowled. "Sarah, why are you suddenly taking his side!? He's--"

"Shut up, Harry, I know what he is!" Reneike snapped, shaking her head. "I just... shut up!"

Agent Smith, meanwhile, had remained quiet. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. "What do you want us to do, Agent Cruller?"

Brown's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, wait, we're actually takings orders from--"

"Shut _up_, Harry!" Reneike, Milla, and Oleander snapped.

The former Grand Head gave a small smile at this. "I need the three of you to hurry and get to a point where you can call for backup. Once this thing is over with, these kids are gonna need medical attention fast. We're also gonna need some people to help us get those soldiers to jail."

Agent Smith frowned, dull gray eyes meeting Ford's dark brown ones. "You do realize, of course, if we call the agency, they will be expecting to arrest that boy."

Ford nodded. "I'm aware. But we don't have a choice. We'll just have to do our best to explain the situation when the time comes."

The middle-aged man gazed at Ford for a moment, then nodded. "Understood," He gave a salute, then turned to the younger agents he was in charge of. "Let's go, Agent Reneike, Agent Brown." With that, he turned and made his way back down the mountain.

Agent Reneike nodded. "Understood, sir," She gazed down at Raz for another moment, eyes narrowing. "I... make sure he doesn't die, alright?"

Milla frowned. "I thought you hated him?"

The woman shook her head. "I... I do... but he doesn't deserve to die like this. After everything he's done, I can't like him... but I know better than to sit here and wish horrible things on a kid who doesn't deserve it."

Agent Brown gave a scowl. "Reneike, you--"

"Shut up, Harry." Reneike's gloved hand shot out to cover his mouth. "Come on, let's go." She nodded at the other Psychonauts, then turned and began to walk back towards where their vehicles were parked. Agent Brown was dragged behind her, still trying desperately to shout from behind a gloved hand.

The group watched them go for a bit, the icy wind billowing around them. Finally Ford gave a sigh. "Well, I'm glad that worked out. Anyway, where were we?"

Lili scowled. "It's about time, I was starting to worry we'd never get back to this."

"No kidding!" Oleander exclaimed.

"Indeed, let's get on with this party!" Milla declared.

Sasha groaned. "Milla... that is so horribly cheesy."

"You know you love it, darling."

Ford smiled, then placed his gloved hands upon the boy's head. "Alright, then, let's get started. Place your hands on him and just... focus." His eyes closed, a dark purple glow slowly coming to life around him, flickering like an ancient flame.

Milla nodded again, placing her gloved hands upon the boy's arm and closing her eyes, a hot pink glow erupting around her. "Please be alright, Razputin..."

Sasha placed his own hands upon the boy's other arm without a word, though his sunglasses had slipped down his nose to reveal stormy gray eyes filled with concern one would not think the German man capable of. A dark blue glow soon flashed to life around him.

Oleander shut his eyes as well as he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Come on kid, I know you can do this..." He muttered as a dark green glow appeared around his small stature.

Lili gazed around for a moment before allowing her eyes to flutter closed, her delicate hands reaching out to cover the boy's chest, right where his heart was. "Please Raz... let us help. Please," She whispered as a sharp magenta glow appeared around her.

"Please be alright..."

--

When the light finally faded, Raz hadn't been sure what to expect. Being a Psychonaut for six years had taught him to expect the unexpected, but now... he wasn't even sure what the unexpected was. Really though, even if he had known and expected this, it wouldn't have stopped his jaw from dropping out of awe.

All around him stood massive cliffs, great waterfalls flowing from them, shimmering like silver glass. These were not normal waterfalls, however, some arced downward while others went up, pouring towards the fading heavens that spoke of closing twilight. The water roared as it poured into the valley where Raz stood, the great pool below it only rippling slightly and otherwise remaining perfectly calm. Occasionally pieces of land would dot the valley here and there, great chunks of broken rock of varying size and shape. Some jutted just out of the pool, while others floated in the air, going higher and higher in a sort of gravity and logic defying stairwell. Each chunk of land was lightly covered with silvery blue grass and flowers, and some bore broken down statues and stone architecture that had been eroded away by time. Others held cracked stone pathways, just as worn, that lead on a small ways before dropping off where the piece ended.

This was all amazing in itself, but what really caught Raz's attention was what lay beyond the valley. It towered above him in the twilight sky; an ancient, broken down castle of white stone, shimmering in the light of both moon and sunset. It hung in midair, a great, dying mass of towers and turrets that jutted every which way, some breaking off and simply floating away from the castle on their own accord.

"... Who,." Raz murmured.

"Really makes it realize you're not in Kansas anymore, don't it, Dorthy?" A voice commented from behind.

"Huh?" Raz's brow furrowed in confusion and he turned, only to find himself staring at Ford's grinning face. "What the-- Ford!? What are you doing here!?" He paused, frowning. "Come to think of it, where is here?"

"Why am I here?" The old man quirked an eyebrow. "Come on Razputin, you should know that! Ain't I always there to help ya when you need it?"

Raz frowned. "Well, yeah, but... this is different, isn't it?"

Ford smiled, scratching at his head. "Is it now? Maybe it isn't. Or maybe it is and it's all in your head," He shrugged. "Why, maybe I'm not here at all! It's all up to want you want to believe, isn't it?"

"I... guess," Raz muttered, still looking confused.

"Oh, and by the way, don't look down."

"Huh?" And of course, Raz did just what Ford told him not to do and glanced downward.

He was standing on water.

"GAH!" Raz yelped, jumping and trying desperately to levitate. However, given his phobia, this failed, and instead the teen crashed back down towards the surface. The teen's eyes widened in horror before he squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the hand to shoot out at any moment and drag him under...

Only to find himself slipping and landing, rear first, on what seemed to be a solid surface.

"Ow! What the..." Raz trailed off, opening his eyes, as he gazed down at his landing spot. The water rippled beneath where he sat, shifted and moved beneath him...yet somehow he remained on top of it, perfectly dry.

"Okay... the curse being real or not, I don't think this is normal," The teen muttered, giving the liquid beneath him a poke.

"Well, of course it isn't! This is the mind, you should know things like that don't apply!" Ford cried. "Sheesh, you'd think six years woulda taught you that!"

Raz frowned as he slowly got to his feet. "Well, yeah, but even in a mind, water still affected me..."

"Well, this place is different," Ford said.

"I'll say..." Raz murmured, glancing around. "But... seriously, where is here?"

Ford gazed at him for a moment, light brown eyes meeting jade green. "Don't you know?"

Raz blinked, his brow furrowing. "What? Of course I don't..." He trailed off, blinking again.

**-Razputin...-**

He could feel it. It was everywhere... an aura that somehow reminded him of a deep, impossibly dark pool of water, of the sharp tang of sea salt and the shimmer of silver moonlight, an unfathomable connection that he could not fully understand... and the silent whisperings of an ancient curse

"Nereus," The teen murmured, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, eyes narrowing dangerously. "We're inside his head."

"Huh, is that where we are?" Ford blinked.

"What?" Raz blinked as well. "Wait, you didn't know?"

"Of course not!" Ford exclaimed. "I have no idea where we are! What do you think I am, psychic!?"

"B-but... you are... you were talking like... wait, what!?" Raz sputtered, looking utterly confused.

Ford threw back his head and laughed. "Ahhh, no matter how old you get, you never stop being easy to mess with," He said with a grin. "Now come on, let's get moving!"

"But... what..."

"Come on now, you're wasting time! And here I thought you were supposed to be faster than an old man like me, sheesh!" Ford called behind him as he continued onward, the water rippling beneath his feet as he walked.

Raz blinked again. "Gah, wait up!" He called, jogging to catch up with the former Grand Head. "How do you know the way to go, anyway!?"

Ford paused, glancing back at him. "How do I know?" He smiled, his gray, scruffy mustache arching with the motion. "Can't you tell? You're the one who knows it, Razputin, I'm just following you."

Raz stared at him for a moment, brow furrowing. Then he smiled. "I... well, I don't really understand, but I'm not going to question it. Come on, let's go." He said, reaching up to adjust his goggles before walking forward. Somehow, though he wasn't sure which way to go, his heart was tugging him that way.

"Now you're talkin'."

**-Razputin... Razputin….-**

The two walked in companionable silence for a bit, levitating from chunk of land to chunk of land when the time came, slowly crawling higher and higher towards the mouth of the valley. After a while, Raz began to notice something. As they grew closer towards the castle, the statues and pieces of architecture around them seemed to grow more and more broken down, the grass beneath their feet curling and graying, withering below them.

"...I wonder what it all means," Raz muttered.

"Huh?" Ford glanced over at him.

"Well... why am I here in Nereus' head? Aside from the obvious..."

"Hmmm..." Ford shrugged. "Well, maybe it's like what happened with you and Morry. Maybe you just need to fix something in here."

Raz gave a harsh laugh. "Ford, Nereus has more than just something wrong with him. I seriously doubt this is like the coach, where freeing his inner child is just going to fix everything. The guy is crazy."

"Well... maybe there was more to it?" Ford suggested.

Raz snorted as he continued walking again "I doubt it. He's a Galochio, for cripes sake. I don't care if my family started it, those guys are still all batshit insane," He muttered bitterly.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Really now? That didn't seem to be the case with that little girl, from what I heard."

The teen winced. "Inoue..." He trailed off, green eyes darkening. "She... I don't know, Nereus messed her up."

"Maybe so... or maybe she was right and there was more to it than you know. That ended up being the case with your curse, after all... then again, who am I to suggest things about your family issues? I'm just an old fool, after all," Ford said, continuing on.

Raz stood there in silence for a moment, gazing at the worn remains of what had once been an archway.

He was willing to accept that Virtra was merely a part of his mind. He was willing to accept that the curse was not real. He was willing to accept that his family had done some terrible things... but he would not accept Nereus. Perhaps the Aquatos had once been bad... but it was not Raz's fault things had turned out the way they had. After all that had been done... he would not, could not, accept that it was his.

**-Razputin... Razputin….-**

The voice tickled at his ears, calling to him, beckoning at something within him, begging him to see-

"Oh, shut up." The teen muttered before jogging after Ford.

Ford had paused a few platforms ahead, much to Raz's relief. "Sheesh," The teen muttered as he levitated to a spot next to the former Grand Head. "For an old man you sure..." He trailed off, gazing around. "...What is this place?"

They had stopped at what almost seemed like some sort of worn down shrine, the broken statues of various people strewn around the area. A fountain that had long been out of commission sat at the center. Dead, dry silver leaves coated the bottom, though a small pool surrounded it. Dark blue vines coiled around archways and columns, growing over the solemn faces of various men and women. The statues all had one thing in common, that being the mark of Galochio worn somewhere upon them.

The old man stepped forward, running his gloved fingers across the solemn, almost sad face of one of the statues. "Well, from the looks of things..." Ford murmured. "I'd say it's a memorial site... or to be more specific, a graveyard."

"A graveyard?" Raz repeated, wincing as he took a step back from one of the statues. That would explain the traces of sorrow and regret he felt all over the place. "Why's it all torn apart and run down?"

"I'm not sure..." Ford said as he moved to the fountain.

Raz frowned as he took a few cautious steps, his gaze falling upon a pile of rubble that had probably once been several statues. It was shaking slightly, as if there were something beneath it. Brow furrowing, the teen stepped towards the rubble, using telekinesis to push it all aside. The instant he did, the rusted and dented memory vault beneath it let out a squeak of terror and dove for the sanctuary of another statue.

"What the... hey, come back!" Raz cried, leaping after it. The vault gave another squeak and made a run for it, only to crash into the mass of shimmering mental cobwebs that covered one of the arches. The vault passed right through it and fell to the ground with a thud, letting out loud squeaks as if fought to get itself untangled.

"Careful, Razputin... looks to me like this thing's been through a lot," Ford said as Raz crept close to it.

"Yeah, I know..." Raz said as he untangled the vault. "Hey, hey, come on. Calm down little guy, it's going to be okay now..." The vault let out a whimper, quivering even as Raz freed it. It gazed up at him with watery eyes and the teen flashed a gentle smile. "You see? I'm not gonna hurt you." He patted the vault's head, and the vault blinked, then let out a happy whine, sticking out its tongue to reveal a slightly battered memory reel.

Raz smiled and took it, standing. "Thank you." The vault let out a happy squeak, rubbing against his leg before hopping away. The teen chuckled, then glanced down at the reel in his hands.

"'Harsh Lessons', huh?" He read aloud, brow furrowing. He glanced over at Ford, who shrugged.

"Well, here's a player. Might as well look," Ford said, pulling some vines off of a dusty player.

"Guess you're right..." Raz muttered. With that, he put the reel in.

--

The water swirled.

Large sapphire eyes narrowed in concentration, breath coming out in tiny short puffs, fingers twitching, fighting to raise the water into the air. A small tendril finally did as it was beckoned to do, twisting and shuddering in midair, shimmering in the soft light, shaking with the effort its' master gave to keep it there.

Finally, after roughly a minute, the four-year old Nereus Galochio gave a gasp as if he had been holding his breath, and the water splashed back into the pool from where it had come. The blond stood before it, panting, his skin pale. Short, silvery strands of blond hair clung to a sweat-soaked brow, and the pure white tunic he wore not faring much better. The child appeared to be about to pass out where he stood.

"Do it again."

His father's voice was calm, but carried an icy undertone with it, a warning.

"Ah..." The little boy bit his lip, glancing up at the tall, muscular man. The man's long, silver hair was swept back from his high, creased brow and trailed down his powerful shoulder, an elaborate silver robe pulled around his body. He met his father's harsh sapphire gaze timidly, almost as if it hurt to look. "F-Father, please. I've been doing this all day... can't I rest?"

His father cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing a fraction. "Rest?"

"Y-yes... the other children said they were s-starting a game, and I was wondering if I c-could go play... if that's alright with you, Father!" The boy said quickly, speaking in words that did not seem to suit his age.

"...You wish to go play with the other children? You believe you have done enough today?" His son nodded, eyes hopeful. "Is that so?" Nereus' father glared down at him for a moment.

"Well then, if that is the case... prove it!" Sapphire eyes flashed and without warning the pool erupted, water rushing out of the groove in the stone and swirling around the boy, encasing him in tendrils of liquid, drawing a yelp of surprise and pain from the boy as they tightened around his chest, crushing him.

"Come now, Nereus, fight it! If you have trained so much today, surely you should be prepared to fight this!" His father sneered as the boy struggled and howled in pain, only to be muffled as the water coiled over his mouth. "Do you not realize this is nothing compared to what you must face, what you must do!? If you cannot control your own element, what makes you think you can handle _fire_!?"

Nereus writhed in the water for a few moments before starting to grow still, his eyes glazing over as the last few bubbles floated from his mouth. Finally, at the last second his father released him and the boy collapsed to the stone floor, gasping and coughing. His father stood before him, staring at him with cold, pitiless eyes.

"Pathetic," He spat out, disgusted. Nereus glanced up at him through red-rimmed eyes, water clinging to his eyelashes. The boy's pathetic expression caused the man's upper lip to curl. "To think, you are supposed to be the Heir."

A boot shot out to kick Nereus in the ribs, sending him tumbling across the stone floor with a cry of pain. "Do you not realize the weight of the task set before you!? What you must do for our family!? The entire world is on your shoulders and all you can think of is playing with the other children!? You have no appreciation for the teachings!" Each word was accented with another kick, another strike to a tiny body that, upon closer inspection, was already covered in bruises and welts. "Do you not realize your body must be strong enough to host Indra, that you must be strong enough to annihilate those fools who have opposed and oppressed us for all these years!? Do you not realize the blood of a thousand Galochios rest upon your shoulders!?"

The boy whimpered. "Father..."

"BE SILENT!" A hand shot out to slap across an already bruised face. "Do you think the Aquatos will be so lenient!? Do you think they will be willing to wait!?" His father snarled, complete loathing communicated in his uttering of the name.

"N-no..."

His father glared down at him for a moment, then looked back to the pool. He held a hand over it and murmured under his breath, causing the pool to swirl and shimmer for a moment. "We are so very close to winning this war, can't you see? While the Aquatos weaken, we have only grown stronger, while they ran away from their destiny, we have accepted it and grown all the more powerful! Four years ago we eliminated the last of their branches, their cousins, their children, eliminated the sickening woman who bore them... there is but one task left ahead of us now." An image of a four-year old Raz appeared on the pool, his innocent face forlorn as he made his way around the circus grounds.

Nereus blinked in confusion as he glanced over the edge of the pool, wide sapphire eyes gazing into jade. He felt something stir within him, a tug at his heart that seemed to be pulling him towards the red-haired boy.

"That's him, Nereus. The Heir of Aquato. All that remains is to destroy him," His father murmured.

"Him? He's the one I'm supposed to kill?!" Nereus exclaimed, his eyes widening as he gazed up at his father.

"Indeed. That boy is the last of them, aside from his father. He is the one to carry on that hated demon, the thing we have been fighting for centuries. The thing that murdered your grandparents, annihilated our family, the thing that has caused so much suffering among our people!" The man hissed, a look of utter revulsion on his face as he gazed down at the boy in the pool.

Nereus said nothing as he gazed back into the pool. "... He... doesn't look like a murderer."

His father scoffed. "All Aquatos are murderers. It is in their nature. Just because that boy has not killed anything yet personally does not mean he is not stained with the blood of our forefathers."

Nereus frowned, feeling his heart sink. "But I..."

His father frowned as well. "You feel a tugging at your chest, yes?" His son nodded. "Ah, my poor son. You are confusing your connection with him... a disgusting thing, isn't it? Knowing that by fate the two of you are bound together by the unspeakable. Do not feel compassion for that beast. He is a vessel, nothing more. Merely a container for a murderer."

"A vessel..." Nereus repeated quietly, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as he gazed down at the face of Razputin Aquato.

"Yes. Now come, let us return to your lessons. Any more complaints, and you will regret it." His father growled, dispelling the image.

As Nereus got to his feet, he couldn't help but gaze at the pool where the image of the boy had been, his father's words ringing in his ears and dull aches still echoing from his body. Again he began to struggle to control the water... and again, and again. Yet even as he did, his mind remained on the image in the pool.

In spite of what his father said, Nereus didn't think the Aquatos had looked so bad.

The scene shifted, though Nereus did not look much older. The boy looked much more terrified, however, as he sat in a darkened caravan, eyes wide as he gazed up at the tall old man who occupied the caravan. The man was taller than the boy's own father was, with a wrinkled face, long white hair, and a decorative tunic.

"I-I don't understand... why has father sent me here today? I am not sick, I don't need a healer..." Nereus said, watching nervously as the man sharpened various tools.

"Oh, it's not about you being sick, child," The man said, flashing him a smile, though it wasn't a very nice smile. "No, no, today we are merely working on the first set of some... modifications."

"..Modifications?" The boy repeated, sounding out the word.

"Indeed," The healer smirked as he walked around the boy, ensuring his restraints to the chair were secure. "I'm sure you're aware that according to theory, if a person's body is broken, it will merely heal stronger than before. "

The boy blinked. "Um... no."

"Oh," The healer paused. "Well, now you are." He resumed his inspection. "Anyway, seeing how you are the Heir, as the vessel for Indra, we need your body to be extremely strong, now don't we?"

"I... suppose," Nereus said slowly, not liking where this was going.

"Glad you agree!" The healer beamed. "In that case, I'm going to start breaking all the little bones in your tiny little body and healing them so they'll grow stronger, 'kay?"

Sapphire eyes widened. "Wait, WHAT!?" He shrieked as the healer pressed a hand against the boy's bare leg.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!"

_CRACK!_

"AUUUUUGGGGHHH!" Nereus let out a howl of pain as the tiny bones in his leg splintered and cracked.

"Wait... nevermind, I lied," The healer said with a shrug as the boy continued to scream and hyperventilate. He fixed the boy with a glare. "Oh come now, stop whining. Here."

The man pressed his hand against the four-year old's leg again and a soft blue glow surrounded it. After a few seconds, the man removed his hand, revealing a perfectly healthy looking limb. Nereus stared down at it, still hiccupping.

"There, see? Good as new. Now relax, we still have a lot more to do."

The boy let out a yelp. "More!? W-wait, no! NO MORE, STOP--"

_CRACK!"_

"AUUUUUUUUGHH!"

_CRACK!_

The scene had shifted again, now showing Nereus at five, his thin wrists bound to a post, eyes squeezed shut, his teeth ground together as his lithe body shuddered. His breath came out in weak gasps, echoing through the night, his naked body appearing sickly in the blue-green light from the various small orbs of water that floated around the clearing. Stars twinkled overhead, the air above the gathering of various, elaborately decorated gypsy tents and caravans grim.

The whip came down in a graceful arc, slashing across an already abused back, flaying back newly healed flesh, opening up scabs that had just closed from the night before. Nereus threw back his head and cried out, feeling warm blood dribble down his back.

"Do you think I enjoy doing this to you every night?" The words were said calmly from behind him as a crimson-spattered whip was twisted through thin fingers. "Do you think I enjoy your suffering, my son?"

Nereus couldn't find his voice, though he did manage a whimper.

"Do you think I take pleasure in punishing you for all those foolish things you say, all these foolish mistakes you make? Do you think I enjoy correcting you?" His father's voice rose in pitch.

"Y-yes..." Nereus breathed out shakily.

_CRACK!_

"AUGH!"

"'Do you think the Aquatos are really so bad?'" The man repeated, almost to himself now. "'Are you sure this is right, father?' 'This doesn't seem right, father.' 'I don't think they're so bad'... such foolishness. Youth is so misguided."

Nereus swallowed thickly. "I-I..."

_CRACK!_

Another lash, another cry.

"Who is doing this to you, Nereus? Who is the cause for all your suffering? What is the reason we must do this every night?" His father asked, his voice almost silky.

"Y-you..." The boy whispered.

_Crack!_

"AHH! I mean the Aquatos, this is the Aquatos doing!" Nereus sobbed as he writhed in his bonds, almost as if he were trying to dodge the snaking whip, even though he knew from experience that he could not.

"Very good." His father hissed, his sapphire eyes flashing. "Who was it that destroyed everything we hold dear?"

_Crack!_

"G-gah! The Aquatos!" The whip was like a line of fire across his back, biting at his flesh with no mercy.

"And who are the ones we are connected to, in spite of this all? Who are the ones who must be taught their place?"

_Crack! Crack!_

"The Aquatos! The Aquatos! Please, no more!" The six-year old howled.

A grin flashed across his father's face, sadistic, terrible. "And who must be cleansed so he can be the one to do this? Who must be cleansed of the Aquato lies, who must be purified so this can all take place?"

"I-I...I..."

_Crack! Crack! CRACK!_

The whip was coming down in constant blows now, with no pause in between. Nereus had long since broken down and was full on sobbing, tears sliding down his cheeks as he clenched his hands into fists, nails biting into his tender palms. "Me! It's me! P-please! T-this has to be done s-so I can be cleansed of them, b-because we're connected! Please, please stop!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as the punishment continued, the crack of the whip echoing into the night long after the boy loss consciousness.

Again, the scene shifted. Nereus, now six years old, lay on his side on the cool wooden floor of a small cell in a small caravan. His body was extremely thin, pale skin covered in dirt and bruises, his white tunic torn and dusty. Dull sapphire eyes stared blankly ahead, the shadows beneath them in stark contrast to his skin. A loud rumble came from his stomach and the boy let out a groan.

There was a soft whimper from beside him and the blond gave a small smile, reaching out with shaking fingers to scratch the small puppy behind the ears. "Hello little dog... you've stayed with me for the three days I've been here. That sure was nice of you," Nereus mumbled weakly. The puppy licked his face and wagged its tail, causing the boy to give a weak laugh.

"I just wish... I had some food..." The boy whispered. The puppy, noting his distress, gave a low whine. Nereus forced a smile and reached out to pet its soft golden fur again. "Don't worry... father wouldn't leave me down here forever. I just made him a little angry, that's all."

It was at these words that there was the sound of a door opening, light momentarily flooding through the long caravan. "See, I told you," Nereus said, perking up slightly as footsteps echoed through the room.

His father approached from the gloom, pausing before the cell, his face expressionless as he gazed down at his son.

"F-father!" Nereus gasped out. "Does this mean my punishment is over? Please, let me out!"

His father gazed down at him for a moment, then wordlessly knelt down. "Are you hungry?"

The blond perked up more. "Y-yes! Please, can I--"

"I wasn't speaking to you," His father hissed as he withdrew a tray of dog food and placed it between the bars of the cage. The puppy gave an excited yip and rushed across the cell to the food, devouring it greedily. Nereus watched it eat for a moment, confused, then looked back to his father. "Are you hungry too?" His father asked.

"Y-yes, please! F-father, please, I'm sorry for what I said! C-couldn't I--"

His father held up a hand, silencing him. "This is a different lesson, my son. In this case, you may leave this cell whenever you wish."

Nereus' brow furrowed. "'Whenever I wish?"

His father nodded, his face stony. "But you must do one thing first."

"Really?" Nereus exclaimed. "What is it? I'll do anything!" He cried out, shaking with anticipation, clearly eager to do anything to please his father.

The man stared at him for a moment, then glanced down at the puppy. "Kill this dog," He said simply.

Sapphire eyes widened, an expression of horror flitting across a small face. "W-what!?"

"You heard me. If you wish to be free, all you have to do is kill this dog," His father said, nodding down at the ball of innocent fuzz.

The puppy stared up at the boy, wagging its tail and giving a small yip, clearly oblivious of what they were discussing. Nereus gazed back, his body having gone limp with shock, sapphire meeting innocent baby blue.

"What's the matter? If you do not kill the dog, you will die. It's as simple as that," His father murmured.

A tail wagged in the air and the puppy lapped a small, warm, clean wet tongue across the boy's battered fingers. It gave a low whine and sat down at Nereus' feet, apparently sensing his distress. Nereus just stared at the innocent face, a lump forming in his throat.

"Why do you hesitate? You've only known that dog for three days. Is it really that hard?" His father's quiet voice was becoming harder now.

"I…." Nereus bit his lip as the dog leaped up to lick his face now, its tiny paws scrabbling across the wooden floor as it whined. He reluctantly reached out to scratch it behind the ears.

"Aren't you hungry? Surely you do not wish to starve to death, here in this cell."

"I... no... no," The boy shook his head, taking a shuddering breath. "I-I don't... I don't want to die... but this dog... this dog hasn't done me any harm."

"Perhaps, but it will grow to attack you if you do not," His father observed. "It will turn on you."

"I... maybe... no," Nereus shook his head again. "Even if someday it might... it hasn't done anything wrong to me yet. It's... it's innocent."

"...Sometimes, Nereus, sacrifices have to be made. Even innocent ones."

"No," Nereus shook his head as the puppy continued to lap at his face, his small fingers twisting in warm, soft fur. "I-I, I don't care! Just because it's there... just because of that... this dog shouldn't have to die for me! It's not right!"

"It _is_ right!" His father snapped, his eyes blazing. "It is the right thing to do, Nereus, and that is something you will learn! Now come, kill the dog!"

"No!" Tears streamed down his face as Nereus held the dog close. "No, no! I don't care that I've only known him for three days, this dog is my friend!"

Silence.

"...Your friend?" Nereus' father repeated, his face hard. "Is that so?" Nereus said nothing, he just stared up at his father. His thin arms looped around the tiny dog, as if holding it close would somehow protect it from his father's wrath.

His father gazed for another moment, then knelt down so he was face to face with the child. "Do you truly believe that, Nereus? Do you truly believe you are capable of having friends?" At Nereus' nod, the man chuckled. "You, the vessel for Indra... you truly believe that?" His chuckle turned into a full-on laugh.

"Foolish child."

Heavy hands reached through the bars, causing the boy to flinch. However, instead of striking the boy, they merely enclosed Nereus' small hands, strong fingers caressing small knuckles. "Do you truly believe in things like that? Things like friendship? Compassion? Companionship?" The puppy just beneath the sets of hands whimpered as Nereus's father took the boys fingers and ran them through the puppy's fur, finally settling loosely around the dog's neck. "Love?"

A moment's pause. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was in fact mere seconds. Nereus gave a tiny, terrified nod.

"Fool," Heavy hands closed around Nereus', forcing them to tighten around the puppy's throat. The dog gave a yelp and tried to struggle away, but it could not fight against the man's grip.

"Father!" Nereus screamed, struggling to tear his small hands away from the ailing dog's throat. "Father! Father, stop!"

"You call this creature your friend? You insolent brat! Do you not see? This beast could care less about you and what happens to you, even as it wags its tail and laps at your feet, it is out of selfish instinct, nothing more, as is the case of every living thing you will ever meet! This world is a struggle to fulfill selfish desire, nothing more!" His father snarled, his grip holding fast. The dog writhed in his grip, its yelps going faint as it struggled to breathe. Its paws kicked weakly at the wooden floor, claws tearing inadvertently across Nereus' legs and leaving bloody trails in their wake.

"Stop! Please, please stop!" Nereus shrieked, sapphire eyes wide with horror. "You're killing it!"

"No, Nereus, it is not I that am killing it, it is you! It is your hands around its neck, after all!" His father cackled. "Do you not see? This is the only proper way to get around in this world, to kill and destroy all around you, to free them from the selfish ways of this world! This way, nothing can ever hurt you! Do you not see, Nereus!?"

The man's grip tightened and the sound of ribs cracking and crunching inward filled the air, a strangled howl of pain ringing through the cell. Blood was spat out on reflex, coating tiny teeth and sticking to the soft fur of a tiny muzzle, staining pure, tiny hands scarlet. The puppy's nostrils flared as it fought for breath, its tail beating heavily against the concrete. Wide baby blue eyes gazed up at Nereus, begging, pleading.

"Father, Father!" Nereus was crying now, tears running down his cheeks as he felt the dog's blood run slower beneath his fingertips, felt the heart slowly lose the battle to keep that little life going."Please... please!"

"Watch now and understand, my son," His father hissed. "This must be the fate of all whom you meet. The Aquatos, non-psychics whom get in your way, other psychics... everyone. They are all meant to die at your hand... they are meant to be your sacrifice for this power, for this world. That is all they are." Another crack, another whimper, bubbles of blood and foam forming around the dog's mouth.

Nereus let out a sob. "Please... please... stop... _don't_..."

"Can you not see, my son? This act, this art... the things I do... this is love, my child. Pain, agony, blood, death, power at the Galochio hands... this is raw, true love. Not that pathetic, selfish comfort that you seek. This is what you must attain to rescue this world, what you must do to survive. That connection you feel with the Aquatos... this is what you must teach them. You must teach them what love is... this is love, Nereus. This is love."

The dog was shuddering now, still gazing up at the sobbing Nereus. Wide, innocent blue eyes gazed up at the boy, slowly dimming, the blood around its muzzle congealing as the same liquid in its veins crawled slower and slower. The boy whimpered and shook his head, trying to make the small dog understand, trying to ignore the hurt he swore he saw in the animal's pure, innocent face, tried to ignore the way the blood stained his hands and tore that same innocence from him.

"Sacrifices have to be made, Nereus... when you're older, perhaps you will understand."

The puppy's tail gave a final, feeble wag, then fell limp.

--

Raz let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as the reel ended. His jade green eyes were wide, his arms limp at his sides. He could feel Ford's eyes on him, watching him as he swallowed, his mouth dry. "...Dang," Raz finally muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets in a desperate attempt to find something to do with them. "That..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Kinda makes your memories at the circus seem a bit tame, don't it?" Ford remarked, quirking an eyebrow.

"H-hey, don't lump me with him!" Raz cried, even as a guilty flame leapt up in his chest. "I mean... yeah, my dad... he wasn't nearly that bad, but still..." He trailed off again. Parts of that video had seemed so similar, the flash of pain and anger that appeared in both fathers' eyes the moment the past had been mentioned... but to see that anger constantly, to see it tear someone apart so that person was so mentally unstable they believed such cruelty was right...

**-Razputin...-**

"How could he say my family was like that!?" The teen suddenly exclaimed, his hands clenching into fists. "That man... their entire family... treating everyone like that, hunting ours down, causing so much pain, killing, torturing, we would never--"

"But you did, Razputin." Ford reminded grimly. "Remember? Once upon a time, what you saw was the very image of your own family."

Raz winced. "Yes, I know! But... damnit, we couldn't have been that bad... we... yes, what we did was wrong, but that doesn't mean... damnit, we changed!"

"As did they... for the worse or so it would seem," Ford stated. "It doesn't look like they were _all_ so keen on it, though."

It was silent for a moment as Raz quietly contemplated this.

"Well, come on then," Ford said abruptly. "You'll have time to brood later, we've got places to be." With that, he continued his way onward.

"What the... hey, wait up!" Raz shouted, jogging to keep up with the elderly Psychonaut.

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

The two continued to make their way through the valley, passing various statues and wilting fauna. As they traveled, Raz felt uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. It was different from when he had first learned of Vritra, that time when he had been so certain that he was the bad guy... but now uncertainties were coming unbidden, thoughts that perhaps Nereus was not truly the bad guy either. Perhaps, if things had been different...

"No," Raz shook his head. "I am nothing like him. A bad childhood doesn't excuse everything he's done." With this thought firmly in mind, Raz continued.

It was when the two finally reached the mouth of the valley that Ford stopped. The two now stood beneath a crumbling archway, various marble etchings chewed away by time. Ahead lay a vast wasteland of silvery-blue rock and shimmering, diamond-like gorges that had probably once been home to streams. Hanging above this all, still far in the distance, was the castle.

"Why are you stopping?" Raz asked, glancing back at his mentor.

"I have to. I can't go any farther," Ford said simply.

Raz's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, you can't go any farther?"

"Exactly what it means. I can't go any farther. It won't let me."

Raz frowned. "You mean... I have to go the rest of the way alone?" He asked, glancing back at the wasteland before him that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Oh, come on now, Razputin, you should know better than that!" Ford snorted. "Of course I'll be with you!"

"You mean... inside my head again?" The teen asked, pointing at his head.

"Nah, Ford shook his head and smiled. "I mean right here," He said, tapping at his heart.

Raz blinked, putting a hand over his own heart. "That's... really corny, Ford," He said, making a face.

"Oh, phooey!" Ford waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Now go on, git! You have places to be, don't ya?" He asked, still smiling.

The teen stared at him blankly for a moment, then grinned. "Yeah, I do... and I won't be alone."

Ford nodded. "Damn straight!"

Raz nodded as well, then turned and began to walk towards the horizon, raising a hand as he did so. "See you later, Ford!"

He thought he heard a "Good luck, Razputin!", but when he glanced back he saw no one who could have said it. Even so, the words hung on the wind, the one who delivered them seeming to vanish upon it. The teen's brow furrowed a moment. Then his smile returned and without another glance back, he continued onward.

"Not alone," He reminded himself, and his heart agreed.

--

"Oh my God... why couldn't Nereus' mind have had some sort of bus for me to catch or something?" Raz panted, running gloved fingers through his hair. "Gaaaah..." The teen leaned against one of the silvery rocks to catch his breath, gazing up at the twilight sky as he did so.

The expanse of land between the valley and the castle had seemed large at the beginning, but as Raz scrambled over rocks and uneven ground, skidded into gorges and scaled up cliff walls, the distance seemed to be getting longer instead of shorter. Levitation wasn't really making things much easier, although Raz was certain that without it getting across this hellish wasteland would have been impossible. To make things worse, Raz's strength seemed to be sapping faster than usual, as if he were carrying a great weight in his chest that only doubled as he continued onward.

And yet, even as it weighed him down, something in his heart continued to call him forward, tugging at him, beckoning him closer. It grew more urgent the closer Raz got, just as the weight upon him grew heavier and heavier.

**-Razputin, Razputin….-**

"Oh for the love of... I know already, stop calling me!" Raz snapped to the heavens. "I got it, I'm coming! I can only go so fast!" The teen let out a groan, covering his face with his hands for a moment. "Honestly, it's like the meat circus all over again..." He muttered, suppressing a shudder.

It was as he sat there that the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end, the mark of Galochio on the back of his neck giving a twinge of pain. The boy sat up straight and froze, fingers tensing at his sides, bright green eyes flashing, glancing this way and that.

Something was watching him.

Seconds later, Raz leaped to the side, narrowly dodging a glowing blue lance aimed for his back. The weapon pierced the rock he'd been leaning on instead, the silvery stone cracking on impact and leaking a dark blue, blood-like substance. The teen skidded to the ground a few feet away, green eyes wide.

"What the hell!?" He sputtered.

His attacker tugged its weapon from the rock, pupil-less, electric blue eyes glaring at him from behind a steel-blue helmet made of ice, horns sweeping from the back of its head. It was not much bigger than him and was shaped in a way that reminded Raz of the velociraptors of Jurassic Park, with great taloned feet and four thin, clawed arms. Its body did not seem solid, however, more like it was formed out of dark water, a strange, murky aqua glow coming from within it. Unfortunately, the spiky armor covering it and the lance it held seemed quite solid indeed. The creature turned towards Raz, a snarl coming from its snaggle-toothed maw, thick tail whipping out behind it as it readjusted the grip on its weapon.

Raz's eyes narrowed as he pressed two fingers to his temple. "I don't know what the hell you are," He growled. "But I am not about to be the pincushion of some Jurassic Park reject." With that, he fired a psi-blast...

...Only for it to be deflected by the creature's armor with relative ease, no damage having been caused at all. The teens eyes widened in shock. "What!? How did--" He was cut off as the creature gave a horrible shriek of triumph, then charged. "GAH!" Raz cried out, throwing up a shield in an attempt to protect himself from the great lance...

Only to watch the creature get knocked aside by a great, dark green psychic fist. The beast let out a howl of pain as it was knocked back into the cliff wall, then slid to the ground, dazed. Raz blinked in confusion, glancing around for his savior.

"What are you doing just standing there, maggot!?" A loud, gruff voice exclaimed.

"Coach Oleander!?" Raz sputtered, watching as the coach stood up straight and brushed himself off. "What are you doing here!?"

"Well, what does it look like I'm doing, soldier!? I'm here to help!" Oleander cried. At Raz's blink, the midget marine rolled his eyes. "Did you honestly think it was going to be that easy to get in!?"

Raz blinked again, then scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, I was hoping..."

Oleander snorted. "You kids these days, always thinking everything's gonna come easy. Focus, soldier! The battle's just starting!" At these words the creature was rising to its feet, a growl bubbling up from its throat.

Raz scowled as he locked eyes with the beast. "You want more, huh? Well, why don't you try this on for size!?" He cried out, punching forward...only to see his psychic fist fizzle, then vanish. "GAH!" Raz let out a yelp as he leaped to the side, the lance just barely catching the edge of his trench coat and tearing it. "What the... why aren't my powers working!?" The teen exclaimed.

"Did you really think that was going to work again? Come on maggot, this is a different situation than usual, you gotta be a bit more creative than that!" Oleander called out.

"But... none of my powers are working!" The teen exclaimed as he ducked beneath another strike, rolling away and coming to a stop behind the creature this time. "What am I supposed to do!?"

"**Use me!"** A voice from within suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Raz paused, blinking.

"**Use me, child! What you face now is no ordinary beast of the mind, it is a small piece of my opposite, Indra. Where in your mind we are one, in this mind Indra has overtaken your other's system, meaning it has grown and spread everywhere in bits and pieces. None of your ordinary powers can work against such a creature. Instead, you must use your true power!"**

"What!? I am using you, my powers are weaker than usual!" Raz snapped.

"**Fool! Do not use your mind, use your heart!"**

"What are you talking about!?" Raz sputtered. "What do you-- GAH!" He let out a shout as the beast suddenly slammed into his shoulder, knocking him into the rock wall. There was a loud crunch as Raz crumpled against it, then slid to the ground, dazed.

Oleander was yelling something at him, but Raz couldn't make it out. He was suddenly incredibly dizzy and his head hurt, his chest burning. The teen shook his head as if trying to clear it, his vision blurry. "What was that?" He mumbled.

"--snap out of it kid, it's coming right for you!"

Indeed, Raz's vision swam back into focus just in time to capture the image of the beast charging toward him, lance aimed for his chest. The teen let out a yelp, bringing his arms up on reflex, squeezing his eyes shut as, his chest feeling as if it were on fire...

And then quite suddenly he felt a sharp spasm of pain from his chest, as if it had cracked open. There was a flash of gold and white as flames sparked to life around Raz for an instant, then coiled up his arm as if they were alive. Finally, they formed into a shimmering long sword, a great dragon coiled around the hilt, its fangs spread wide against its enemies, the blade itself seeming to embody hellfire in gleaming white steel. The words _"Cinis cineris ut Cinis cineris"_ were engraved upon it, gleaming in the twilight.

His attacker's lance struck the blade with a loud clang, its owner staring down at the sword with wide eyes. Raz's expression was similar, though slightly more dumbfounded, as he gazed down at the blade in his gloved hands. He could feel heat radiating from the thing, as if it were alive. Indeed, Raz supposed it was... it _was_ Vritra, and in a way, himself, after all.

"...Wow. This has to be the most cliché thing that has ever happened to me in my life, and I've had a lot of clichés," The teen commented. With that, he pushed back against the creature, slowly standing as he did so.

"**What do you mean, cliche!?"**

"Well, a sword is so... Final Fantasy," Raz commented as he threw the creature off, ignoring its shriek and ducking to avoid its now slightly panicked attack. "Couldn't you have materialized as a gun instead?"

"**Look where you are! A gun wouldn't have fit in!" **Vritra snapped. **"Besides, this is my traditional form!"**

"Well, yeah, " Raz admitted as he made a wild slash at the beast, just barely catching it across the arm. "But I don't know how to use a sword!"

"**Learn, fool!" **Vritra snarled.

"Okay, okay!" Raz cried as he parried another swipe, then finally stabbed the sword forward, piercing the beast directly through the chest. The creature let out a shriek of agony, its face becoming ghoulish as its eyes flashed white. It howled to the heavens for a moment... then, quite suddenly, it seemed as if the force holding it together melted, and it simply fell apart, splattering to the ground in a puddle of dark water.

Raz stood there, panting, allowing the sword to drop to his side. "Geez... that involved far more effort than it should have."

"It wouldn't have if you hadn't spent all that time just standing there gawking like a moron!" Oleander exclaimed as he rushed over. He wiped some sweat from his brow, glancing over the boy. "You alright?" He asked gruffly.

Raz blinked down at Oleander, his expression torn from the sword for a moment. "...You care?" He asked, sounding surprised.

"Well, of course I care!" Oleander snapped, sounding insulted. "I always care for my troops! ...Besides, after all you did..." He trailed off, looking away and attempting to appear very interested with twirling his mustache.

Raz blinked again, then gave a small laugh and grinned, clapping Oleander on the back. "Awww, don't worry Coach, I care for you too!"

"Oh, shut up," Oleander grumbled, then stomped ahead. "You'd better keep that sword with you, soldier! There's more where that came from!" He called behind him.

Raz watched the coach march on ahead for a moment, blinking. Then he chuckled. "I guess I can only expect so much…." He shook his head, shouldered the sword, and followed after the midget marine.

The two continued like this for awhile, slowly making their way across the rugged terrain and occasionally finding themselves attacked. While Oleander's powers were at least usable, unlike Raz's, they quickly found they still didn't have a much better effect. The best weapon against it, so it turned out, was the sword Raz found himself wielding.

"I have to say, it is really cliché..." Raz commented as the two continued onward. "I mean, seriously...a great big castle, dragons, a hero with a sword... it's like a really bad RPG."

Oleander snorted. "What, you think you're going to save some kind of princess?"

Raz snorted as well. "I doubt it, what with this being Nereus' mind and all. I mean... yeah, it just wouldn't fit. Admittedly it would be sort of cool though..." The teen trailed off, chuckling.

"...So what, are you saying Nereus is the princess?"

Raz froze on the spot, letting out a choked, gargling noise. "WHAT!?" He sputtered.

Oleander grinned. "I always knew you were a fruit!"

"I am not!" Raz cried out.

"Oh yes, little maggot the knight, off to save his blond pretty-boy princess, locked up in the highest tower…." Oleander snickered.

"It's not like that!" Raz cried, feeling his face grow hot. "I would save Lili, but definitely not that bastard!"

"So you're discriminatory against princesses now?"

"No, because Nereus isn't a princess!" The teen snapped.

"But you said you wouldn't save him," Oleander observed.

"I…." Raz trailed off, frowning. "...It doesn't matter anyway. I'm just trying to get out of here," He grumbled, stomping ahead.

Oleander snorted, then followed. "I can't blame you... after all he's done, I wouldn't touch that gay bastard..." He trailed off, his expression darkening. "Of course... I wouldn't have saved me either... I guess I was wrong about you."

Raz paused, staring down at Oleander. "What?"

"Nevermind," Oleander waved it off. "Come on, we're going this way." He said, his voice echoing as he ducked into the opening of a cave.

Raz blinked. "What... wait, coach!" He cried, his voice echoing as he too stumbled into the dark.

"Gah!"

_Whumph!_

"OW! GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT, RAZ!"

And of course, Raz instantly tripped over Oleander in the darkness and ended up sprawled over the floor.

"Damnit..." Raz groaned, sitting up on his elbows and rubbing his scraped chin. "It's too dark to see in... here…." He trailed off, blinking, as the Sword of Vritra, inches from his fingertips, suddenly glowed in the darkness and lit up the cavern.

"Damnit, why couldn't it have done that BEFORE you tripped over me!?" Oleander growled as he sat up. "I'm not as young as I used to be... Goddamnit, my back..."

"Sorry about that, Coach," Raz said sheepishly as he snatched up the sword, then glanced around. "Whoa..."

Piled up in the cavern were bones. Millions of them, piled up and up in mounds of skeletons, long forgotten. Overly-large eye sockets peered up at Raz from far too large skulls, broken glasses placed upon bony noses, shattered clipboards and stamps littering the area.

"What on earth..." Raz murmured, taking a step back. "They're... censors?"

"Well... this would explain why your little gay friend is so damn crazy," Oleander commented, giving the bones a light kick.

"Yeah, I guess..." Raz winced as he gazed around. "Man... I know those things were kind of annoying, but this is awful..." He trailed off, brow furrowing. "...And is it just me or are some of them moving?"

"What!? Another monster?" Oleander had immediately pressed two fingers to his temple, eyes narrowed at concentration. "Let me at him."

Raz shook his head. "No, I don't think so... there's something alive here, though..." At this, the teen inched forward, eyes narrowing as he gazed at a specific pile of bones that seemed to be shivering. Raz reached out with the sword, nudging it.

The memory vault beneath the bones let out a yelp as it leaped backward, startled out of its slumber. It stumbled over a player, knocking the rusting thing over, then slammed against the wall of the cavern and slid to the ground, dazed.

"...Phew," Oleander allowed his arm to drop back to his side. "Well, what are you waiting for, soldier!? Break it open!"

"Ah... right," Raz took a step forward and knocked lightly on the vault's head, causing it to spit out a reel. The teen patted the vault and took the reel, glancing at it.

"A Good Deed Punished'." Raz's brow furrowed. "Odd... well, might as well play it," He said, picking up the player and adjusting it before popping the reel in.

"I just hope it isn't like the last one..."

--

In retrospect, he should have listened to his father.

When their group of caravans had finally rolled to a stop in a clearing among a desolate forest, the sight of the small town just on the horizon had filled a ten-year old Nereus with excitement. It was something different from the towns they usually visited, so new and shimmering and smothering with smog, filth, and humanity. His sapphire eyes wandered constantly towards it as the Galochio clan set up camp, pitching small tents and gathering things around them with the flick of a wrist and whispered words. That curiosity only grew as his father thrust the boy's cloak into his hands, in spite of the warm summer sun, and together the two made their way for it.

Soon enough the two were walking the cobblestone streets, hoods pulled up over their faces. Nereus' father tugged him through a crowd of people clad in medieval style dress, giving his son a harsh shake when the boy paused too long to stare.

"But why are we here?" The boy wondered as he was jostled through the crowd, his voice nearly swallowed by the cacophony of market. "This place is so small..."

"Indeed, it is a small town." Upon feeling his father's heavy hand upon his shoulder Nereus flinched slightly, averting his eyes to the ground. "But we are not here for any sort of show... not that such disgusting slugs deserve it." His father cast a steely gaze at the women who walked by. Nereus frowned, but didn't comment on his father's term for non-psychics. Voicing his own views on the subject wouldn't end well. "We are merely here to gather supplies, that is all."

Nereus' brow furrowed. "But... I thought we could get food and such from cities..."

His father snorted. "There are some things modern man has forgotten that we are in need of. Fortunately, there are those here whom choose to live the traditional path, at great risk."

"Why a great risk? They're only non-psychics," Nereus said before he could stop himself. He flinched on reflex, expecting a blow, but none came. However, his father's grip did tighten.

"These non-psychics are also rather traditional on their views of our kind. They have spurned the modern world, choosing to remain as a sort of time capsule. Instead of viewing us as mere parlor tricks, they view us as servants of the devil," His father murmured grimly. The boy felt a chill go down his spine as he met the gaze of a young girl and quickly looked away. It seemed so nice... could such a place really be full of such people?

"Ah, here we are." At these words his father paused outside of a small shop, various gems and strange objects glittering from the window. Odd-smelling smoke wafted from the chimney, as well as an old woman's soft chant. "I will go inside. You stay here and do not do anything. Do not move, do not touch anything, do not even look at anyone, understand me?" His father said, fixing him with a look.

Nereus bowed his head. "Understood, father." His father nodded, clapped him on the shoulder, then vanished into the shop.

At first, the ten-year old did just as his father said. He stood outside the shop obediently, gazing around at the scenery and avoiding catching anyone's eye. The shop was on the outskirts of the town, but there was still quite a bit of activity, with people bustling to and fro. Nereus did nothing to draw attention to himself, he did not even tap his foot or hum in an attempt to pass the time. He merely stood and listened, reveling in this rare chance to be around people who were not of the Galochio clan. He rarely got out, after all.

It was fortunate that he was listening, as if he hadn't been he might not have heard the cry of surprise over the din of the marketplace. The instant he heard it, however, the blond's eyes snapped open, just in time to see a young boy who hadn't been watching where he'd been going slam into a little girl near the river. The girl gave a shriek she tumbled backward and over the edge of the bridge, her arms pinwheeling in the air but catching nothing, her dress fanning out from her as she fell towards the shimmering water.

Nereus acted on instinct. With a cry he thrust his hand forward, a similar hand of bright blue appearing from nothingness and catching the girl in its palm mere inches from the surface. The girl's scream abruptly stopped as she sat there in the air, her curly brown hair falling around her face in a mess as she panted. Wide brown eyes glanced across the crowd to spot a newly formed clearing, a heavy silence falling over the crowd as dark eyes met blazing sapphire.

Slowly, Nereus gestured, gently moving the girl up before setting her on solid ground. The girl's legs gave way immediately and she dropped to her knees on the cobblestone ground, her shocked eyes remaining on Nereus. The boy allowed his arm to drop to his side, a grin coming to his face even as he breathed heavily. His father would have been so proud! Nereus had never managed to use his powers over such a distance to such an extent before! And he had saved someone, too! That was good, wasn't it!?

...But if that was the case, why were all the people around him whispering and casting him dark looks? He had just saved one of them, if he hadn't done that, that girl might have drowned! He was a hero, wasn't he!?

It was then that his father's words came back to him. _"They view us as servants of the devil."_

Nereus' eyes widened in realization, his entire body stiffening. "Oh no..."

It was then that a soft, wrinkled hand clamped upon his shoulder. "Well, what do we have here?" An old woman murmured, her dark eyes glinting.

Nereus' eyes widened. "E-excuse me!?"

"I think you'd better come with me, son..." The old woman murmured, the rest of the crowd closing around him as well.

"I-I haven't done anything wrong!" Nereus insisted, backing up, only to find himself running smack into the thick, muscular chest of a tough-looking man.

"You haven't done anything wrong?" The woman repeated. Then she smiled, though not a very nice smile. "What ever are you talking about? You've been very, very naughty, little boy." At these words, the muscular man clamped a heavy arm around Nereus, drawing a yelp from the boy as he was lifted into the air.

"B-but I saved that girl!" Nereus cried.

"Indeed. What a foolish little demon you were, to use such witchcraft in broad daylight. That girl will have to be purified before the church now," The old woman sneered. "But no worries, she'll live. As for you, however..." She threw back her head and cackled, causing the blood in Nereus' veins to freeze.

He should have listened to his father.

The town had changed. While it had seemed so friendly and open in daylight, darkness had transformed it. Store windows glowed orange under the light of hundreds of torches, embers floating high into the moonless night. Harsh fists clutched at these bursts of unholy fire and pitchforks, the metal gleaming high in the air.

"Demon! Spawn of Satan!"

"Kill him!"

"Burn him! Burn him! Send him back to where he belongs!"

The crowds jeers were deafening, echoing into the night in an unholy roar for blood. People pushed and shoved, simultaneously backing away from the path through the town square and rushing to get closer to sneer at their 'demon'.

The object of their abuse was none other than a small ten-year old boy. Sapphire eyes were wide with terror as small, bare feet were dragged across the cobblestone streets, leaving trails of blood in their wake. Thick, chains bound around thin wrists, chafing them raw. Newly opened gashes, various bruises, and dirty, sweat-soaked pale skin gleamed in the torchlight, angry fists and hands propelling the tiny body forward towards the center of the square.

"S-stop!" Nereus cried out, his voice cracking. "P-please, stop! I'm not a demon, I'm not!" The boy had no idea what to do. He was nowhere near strong enough to get away from all these people. It didn't help that for some reason the moment these chains, glittering with a strange purple light, had clamped around his wrists they had rendered his powers useless.

A wad of spit hit him in the face and the boy grimaced. "Please, I'm--" A fist from the crowd hit him in the back, sending him tumbling to the ground, much to the crowd's glee.

"Look at him stumble! Not so great now, is he!?" A voice sneered, and the rest of the crowd laughed.

"C'mon, get up," The man who'd been pushing the boy forward sneered, picking him up and shoving him forward once again. The boy winced as he was thrust forward, the crowd finally parting to reveal his destination.

A great wooden stake had been erected in the middle of the square over a pyre, wood piled up around it and soaked in what appeared to be gasoline. Nereus' eyes widened in horror, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he swore he heard the whisperings of an ancient curse at the back of his mind.

"NO! Nononono NOOOOOO!" He shrieked, slamming his feet down on the ground in a desperate effort to go no farther. "NO, PLEASE, ANYTHING BUT THAT!"

"What's wrong little demon, scared?" The man behind him sneered. "Well, good!" With that, he shoved Nereus forward, dragging him across the last few feet of cobblestone. The boy was then shoved up the newly made steps, splinters digging into bare, bleeding feet before he fell to his knees before the stake.

The blond stared up at it, the dark stake silhouetted against the orange sky. "No... nononono... I'm not, I'm not..." He murmured as he was hoisted up by the arms. The ten-year old was then shoved roughly against the stake, heavy ropes pulled tightly around him even as he struggled.

"Please... please don't do this!" He begged, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Please, I'm not a demon!"

A woman laughed. "Look at him cry! He thinks his crocodile tears will save him!"

"After all he's done!? Like that's gonna happen!" A man sneered. "He burned down my crops!"

"He stole from my shop!" Another woman exclaimed.

"He led my children astray!"

"Burn him! Burn him!

"N-no I didn't! I haven't done any of those things!" Nereus cried as more wood was piled up around him. "P-please, all I did was save that girl! Please, let me go!"

"You foolish brat! As if we would believe your lies!"

"Burn him! Burn him!"

The unanimous cry rose throughout the square, deafening. Fists punched into the air, faces twisted into expressions of malicious glee.

It was through this that the girl Nereus had saved was pushed up the wooden steps, tears streaming down her cheeks, a torch clutched in her tiny hand. The old woman whom had grabbed Nereus earlier was guiding her up these steps, her expression grim.

"Come now dear, you have been given a wondrous task. This is an honor," The old woman was saying. "You are purifying this village of this scum, and in doing so, are purifying your own heart."

The girl let out a whimper as she looked to Nereus, her tear-streaked face appearing ruddy in the torchlight, dark eyes meeting sapphire once again. Nereus shook his head, his eyes pleading.

"D-don't. Please don't," He pleaded.

"Do not listen to this creature's pleas," The old woman hissed. "You know the truth of what he is."

The girl whimpered again, her hand shaking as she clutched the torch. She shook her head, eyes still remaining locked with Nereus'.

"Do not falter... unless you want your family to remain outcasts forever due to this incident."

At these words the girls eyes widened, her entire body shaking. Biting her lip, she held the torch out over the wood, sobs now racking her tiny frame as she looked away from Nereus, squeezing her eyes shut even as sapphire orbs widened in horror. "I'm sorry," She whispered before dropping the torch.

"NO!"

The effect was instantaneous. The blaze spread across the wood instantly, blinding orange and white flames devouring it with a horrible roar. Nereus let out a shout as it did so, shrinking back against the stake. The crowd let out shouts of glee as the flames erupted, their faces euphoric as the sobbing girl was dragged off of the pyre by a cackling old woman.

"That's right demon, scream! Go back now to the hell that you came from!" She shouted. The rest of the crowd gave similar jeers and shouts, the firelight reflecting in their dark eyes.

Nereus let out another shout that was swallowed by clouds of thick, billowing smoke, causing him to cough and wheeze. His eyes watered as he squeezed them shut, the scent of fire burning his nostrils. The heat was awful, stifling and impossible to breathe in. Sweat coated his body, hair curled and singed, thin legs kicked in the air as the ten-year old boy fought in a desperate, hopeless attempt to get away from the blazing monster than closed in from all sides.

And still the crowd laughed and danced, ecstatic at his suffering, their wild hoots of glee filling the unholy night, the tears of a small girl going unnoticed as a tiny boy howled.

The flames coiled and twisted around him as if dancing, slowly forming into great clawed hands that grasped for him. Burning talons lashed at him and scraped across thin legs, drawing forth howls of agony as Nereus pressed back against the stake, his tears boiling across his sweat-soaked face in the blistering heat.

With their faces stretched gaunt in the shadows of blinding flames, eyes glowing as if from within, teeth stretched into awful smiles... the crwod looked far more demonic than the tiny, broken angel that writhed, bathed in fire.

It was upon this realization that the boy finally collapsed against the stake, his energy and will to fight torn away by the smoke and fire. He hung there in the blaze, dirty blond hair sticking to a sweat-soaked, singed brow as he gazed out at the crowd. Their faces were slowly obscured as the flaming claws twisted into the giant one Nereus knew so well, talons stretched out as if to embrace him, the whisperings of an ancient curse howling in his ears.

"Demons... every single one of them. Father was right," The boy murmured quietly.

And then the fiery talons closed in on him.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Dun dun dun! Except not really a cliffhanger, but whatever. Reviews cause miracles and such!_


	20. Connections

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Twenty: Connections**

**--**

_Hi guys!_

_So um... it's been a really, really long time, huh? Ahahaha... oh God, please don't stab me._

_I'm really sorry this took me pretty much forever to get up. Long story short, I had a very, very busy senior year involving a lot of drama, changing relationships, depression, Tales of the Abyss, .hack/G.U., me getting into art college and moving to a big city annnd a whole bunch of other stuff. It was busy times... and for awhile I had no interest in this fic and decided to just leave it for a bit. Which... totally sucks for you guys and I'm really, truly sorry about that. On the bright side, taking that year off meant when I finally came back to this fic, I felt much more enthusiastic. Not only did I write a ton of new content, but I also revised every chapter!_

_Yes, that's right, I revised every chapter. I added new content, editted out a lot of the over-the-top angst, tightened up plot stuff... you know you love it. If you ever want to reread this fic, I would highly encourage it since I worked really hard!_

_I also made a _**soundtrack**_! Yes, that's right, I have a ton of music that can be set to various dramatic scenes, sooo I figured I'd stick it all into a big zip file and upload it. If you want to download it, the link is in my profile. ...I'm aware a soundtrack is horribly pretentious, but I'm an art student, so really, how much more pretentious can I get?_

_I really hope you guys are still reading this... I really am sorry for keeping you all waiting. I feel really bad because I got a ton of new readers and I have let them down horribly. So yeah... I apologize. Really, the only way I can make it up is by... well, finally finishing this damn thing. The good news is we've only got four chapters to go counting this one! It was originally three, buuut when I wrote this chapter it ended up being 43 pages long! So I split it into two. The good news is that means the chapter after this one is already written, yay! And this is already a good twenty pages, so yay!_

_Umm, let's see... many thanks goes to my boyfriend for encouraging me to keep up with, PsychoDirector, Lyre-13, and LKB for inspiring me and keeping me interested in the fandom (as well as letting me borrow some epic characters from PsychoDirector for some scenes in the rewritten chapters), and finally to _**Lord Pancake**_. He gets his name bolded because I borrowed (read: Stole and mutilated) his awesome character _**Spinoza Galochio **_for some flashbacks and stuff. So yeah, many props to all of them... especially Pancake. Pancake, I am so, so sorry for the horror you experience upon seeing I mutilated your character._

_Um... right, I don't have much more to say, other than once again I'm really sorry. I really hope you all enjoy this, and please, please drop me a review to let me know what you thought, alright? Or you can just yell at me for taking so long, that works too._

_Annnd here we go!_

_Suggested listening music is _Letter - From The Lost Days (Track 22 on the soundtrack) _from _Silent Hill 3 _for the flashbacks_, Kingdom Hearts Above The Rising Falls OC Remix by sephfire (Track 21)_ for Nereus mind annnd_ A Song of Storm and Fire (Track 11)_ for various fight scenes._

_--_

"That was quite a stunt you pulled there, boy."

His father's frigid tone sifted through the inky fog, the first thing Nereus became aware of besides the dark. The second thing the ten-year old was aware of was pain, an awful, staggering pain that shot through his body, drawing a groan from his dry, cracked lips.

"Mngh... father?" The boy mumbled, forcing open one sapphire eye. "Where... am I?"

"Stupid boy, you're in my healing caravan!" A loud voice to his right suddenly exclaimed, a glance revealing it to belong to the white-haired, bespectacled man Nereus knew all too well.

"The healing caravan?" Nereus repeated weakly. "Why?" He tried to sit up, then let out a yelp of pain and flopped back down. "What..." He trailed off as he gazed down at himself, observing the bandages binding nearly every inch of his thin frame. "That girl..." He whispered, eyes widening as the memories suddenly came forth. Flashes of gleeful faces cackling down at him, flames licking at his flesh, a teary-eyed girl wielding a torch, the talons of fire reaching for him...

"Yeeeees, that's right. NOW the stupid child remembers," The healer sneered. "Quite fortunate for our family's powers... were mine not so advanced, our little heir wouldn't be looking so pretty anymore. Lots and _lots_ of scarring. Even now... something tells me you may want to stick to long sleeves."

"You're fortunate we arrived when we did," His father said grimly. "A moment longer and the Aquato curse would have taken you." He would have seemed concerned, were it not for the hint of danger in his tone.

Nereus bit his lip and cast his gaze to the floor. "I... I'm sorry father. Thank you for saving me."

A heavy silence fell over the room for a moment. "I told you not to get involved."

Nereus swallowed. "I know. I didn't mean to."

"You deliberately disobeyed me." His father's voice rose, rage burning in his dark eyes.

"I-I know, I'm sorry. But there was that girl, she was in danger, I couldn't--"

"A _nonpsychic _girl!" His father hissed. "She meant _nothing _to you, she was just another one of her filthy kind!"

"But if I didn't save her, she could have died!" Nereus exclaimed.

"She _should have_!" The hiss had become a roar, sapphire eyes flashing. "But no, she didn't, and instead _you _were the one who paid the price! Not just you, but our entire family! We can never go to that village ever again!" A heavy hand reached out to press against Nereus' burnt front, drawing a cry of agony from the boys lips. It was if he were being burned all over again, that staggering pain surging through him like flames. "Do you not see!? This is how that foolish race works! It would be no different anywhere else, and this is something you must learn! You must destroy them before they destroy you, do you understand!?"

"Ahhhhh! Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, stop!" Nereus cried out, tears of pain coming to his eyes as he writhed, body arching in an attempt to get away from their cause.

"No, I don't think you do!" His father snarled. "You deserved to be burned at that stake! Did you see the curse!? Did you see the hand of Aquato! Do you understand why we do what we must do!? Do you understand NOW!?"

"Y-yes, please, I-- AHHH!" The boys cries became a full on scream as nails dug into blisters, sapphire eyes widening as his world suddenly flashed.

_The campers eyes were wide with awe as they stared up at him over the fire, jaws slack. The flames crackled as he pushed the goggles from his eyes as dramatically as he could, just like in the comic books. _

"_My name..."_

"_Start's with a D!"_

"_...Is Razputin! But everyone calls me... Raz!" _Pain surged through his body and his father was still yelling but Nereus was deaf to it, his sapphire eyes still wide as the mark at the back of his neck, the mark of Aquato, burned far worse than any pain his father could ever inflict. The pain suddenly picked up in intensity again and the boy squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, the world flashing away again.  _"You have a water phobia?"_

"_No! Well... yes. See, my family has this problem with water. Some old gypsy curse about how we're all supposed to die in water... if you can believe that." Even with the nonchalant tone in his voice, he felt a shiver run up his spine as he glanced back at the lake. He did his best to keep that fear off of his face._

**Flash!**

"_Ah yes, I heard you grew up in the circus... but why would you wanna burn all these happy memories here?"_

"_If they were happy memories, I wouldn't have run away. My dad... he hates psychics, and he knew I was becoming one. So he--"_

**Flash!**

"_Remember, Razputin, your talent will always set you apart. Sometimes isolation is a good thing, it can lead to... important discoveries."_

**Flash!**

"_I-I wouldn't go in there, darling, that's a real party killer right there. ...Darling?"_

**Flash!**

_"When are you going to just shut up and kiss me?"_

_His face grew hot. "I can hear that."_

"_I know."_

_She was far too close, jade was meeting amber and she was just far too close and he could smell the flowery scent of her hair as she leaned closer and she was just far, far too close, and was this--_

**Flash!**

_The water was rising._

_The water was rising and his heart was hammering through his chest as he raced through this course from hell, the scent of rotting meat hitting his nose as he scrambled across squishy, uncooked beef, a flaming mace zipping over his head._

"_You used to like to play catch with me!" His father sneered, and Raz let out a shout as he nearly missed a jump, his fingers narrowly grasping at a trapeze made of bone-_

**Flash!**

"_Oh son... I could never hate you. I was only trying to protect you... and our family has many enemies. I only wanted you to be happy, Razputin..."_

**Flash!**

_He was on the stage and his heart was hammering in his chest yet again, but for a different reason, as Agent Cruller stepped forward, a small green uniform held in his arms._

"_Son... we do not normally ask this of someone so young, but it is clear to us all that you are not average. So... will you join us, Razputin? Will you be... a Psychonaut?"_

**Flash!**

Nereus collapsed against the bed as his father fell silent, both panting for breath. The healer stood at the edge of the caravan, his expression nervous.

"Weelll... this is awkward. I'm uh... gonna leave you two alone, then..." He said slowly, edging out the door. "Just uh... call me if you need me..." With that, he was gone.

Nereus and his father sat there for a few seconds, saying nothing. Finally, his father spoke. "Do you understand, Nereus?"

The blond said nothing, just gave a small nod.

His father was quiet for another moment, then mirrored the motion. "Very well then. Rest for now... I will return later." With that, he turned and left the caravan.

Nereus let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he stared up at the ceiling. "...Wow," He whispered, sapphire eyes wide even as his body quivered with exhaustion, shuddering from the memory of pain and loss, of unbridled pride and joy, of _love_...of a feeling of being so perfectly connected to someone. "So that was you... wasn't it, Razputin?" He bit his lip again.

"So while I was nearly burned alive... you were achieving what you've always wanted," He murmured. The blond let out a sigh, then closed his eyes, a small smile coming to his face. He knew he should be bitter... but somehow, he couldn't be.

"Well... as long as one of us is happy..."

--

Raz said nothing as the reel ended, just stared at the blank cavern wall where the images had been. He swallowed and shoved his gloved hands into his pockets, trying his best to ignore the way Oleander's eyes were on him and the way his heart seemed to sink.

"Well... I guess this explains the whole issue with nonpsychics a bit," Oleander commented gruffly.

Raz snorted. "Explains it? Maybe a bit, but it's not like having to deal with a few crazies is an excuse for wanting to kill _all _of them."

Oleander looked at him for a moment. "So him having a traumatizing near death experience while you were off having the time of your life on top of an abusive childhood isn't an excuse, but my childhood passes as enough to excuse my little stunt?"

Raz winced. "I... you were different... you weren't as bad..."

Oleander snorted. "Maybe... but doesn't that just make the blondie worse off and more deserving of your help? Even after all that, he was still thinking of you and was just happy you were happy," He pointed out.

The teen stared at him open mouthed for a moment, then bit his lip and glanced down at the floor. "It's... different," He muttered lamely.

"Right. Of course it is."

The two stood in silence for a moment, then Raz gave a sigh. "Look, let's just keep going, alright?" With that, he held the Sword of Vritra up and began walking briskly ahead.

"Alright, fine. Whatever you say, maggot." Oleander shrugged, then followed.

The two walked without a word between them for awhile, though occasionally they would slip and stumble through the dark. In spite of the rugged terrain, it wasn't enough to keep Raz's mind off of the way his heart seemed to have sunk into his stomach out of guilt.

Why should he feel guilty? Nereus had done so many things to him, there was no excuse... surely everyone couldn't expect him just to forgive and forget! He couldn't! After everything between them, their families, everything, there was just no way. Yes, they had their similarities, but that was all. There was no connection between them beyond a bad one, and even if Raz was expected to help Nereus, he didn't have to like it.

In spite of these insistent thoughts, none seemed to stand up entirely to that single memory of Nereus smiling, looking so happy simply because Raz had been happy...

Raz shook his head. No, that didn't mean anything. Nereus' "care" for him, their connection that he insisted upon, had been a twisted perversion, nothing more.

Nothing more.

And still something his chest pulled him onward, calling him, leading him towards something that Raz just could not explain. With every step this feeling grew stronger... and bit by bit his strength seemed to sap, the weight that seemed to be pulling him down growing heavier and heavier...

**-Razputin... Razputin...-**

After what seemed like ages, a glimmer of light was finally spotted. Raz squinted against it, then grinned. "Hey! I think I finally found a way out!" He glanced back at Oleander. "You ready to get out of this place?"

"Wha? Oh, finally!" Oleander was huffing as puffing behind him as he stumbled over rock after rock. "Damnit, I'm not as young as I used to be..."

"You okay there, coach?" Raz asked, brow furrowing. "You want to take a break?"

Oleander scowled. "I'm in better shape than you'll ever be, soldier! Now stop yapping and get moving!" He snapped before stomping onward, grumbling under his breath. "Stupid kids, gloating over their youth... you'll see eventually..."

Raz grinned and shook his head before following Oleander towards the light.

When he finally stepped out of the cavern Raz winced, shielding his eyes. After that darkness, even the twilight sky seemed bright. Fortunately, within a few moments his eyes adjusted and Raz dropped his arm...only to gape in horror at what he saw.

They were everywhere. A sea of reptilian soldiers that stretched as far as the eye could see. Just beyond them, the great gate of the castle loomed in the distance, but the mass of liquid-like bodies and shimmering armor made it seem much farther. Hundreds of glowing eyes immediately fixed upon them, weapons poised.

"Well," Raz commented in a dry, matter-of-fact tone. "That's kind of not good."

"Yup. Probably around a thousand, I'd say," Oleander drawled, almost sounding bored. "Depressingly cliché."

"Yeah. Well, that's not too bad, it could be worse," Raz shrugged. "It's only a thousand."

"Yup. Kind of expected it."

"Mm-hmm," Raz shifted into a fighting stance, shrugging the Sword of Vritra off of his shoulder and flashing a cocky grin. "So, what do you think, Coach? Do you think you can handle this?"

Oleander snorted. "Please. I was fighting these numbers for a warm-up long before you were born," He said, glancing over at the boy and smirking.

"Oh, I know. I just wanted to make sure you'd be able to keep up with me in your old age," Raz jeered.

"Was that a challenge, Maggot?"

"Damn straight."

Oleander grinned, his glass eye flashing as he fell into his own fighting stance. "Bring it, kid."

Raz nodded, then glanced towards the army. "Alright, let's go!"

With that, both parties charged. They met in a cacophony of steel and flaring psychic energy, bursts of shimmering blue and violent flames of orange flitting through the air. Raz and Oleander blew through the ranks as if they were nothing, both working in perfect rhythm. Snapping jaws were held at bay with a shimmering sword, great lances shattered with a single psychic blow. When one fell, the other was there, holding the swell at bay. For them it was no trouble, they had many years of practice, after all.

Enough that they apparently felt the need to turn it into a competition.

"Ninety-eight!" Raz counted out loud, slashing a beast as he passed it. The resulting slice sent it collapsing in his wake as he slid across the ground, the stony earth slick with the dark liquid the creatures seemed to be composed of. The teen twisted around in mid-skid, blocking a blow meant for his neck, then cleaved the head from his attacker's shoulders. "Ninety-nine!" He called out, levitating over it's body as it fell.

He used it's back as leverage to leap to another opponent, impaling it before it even had the chance to cry out. "ONE HUNDRED!" He called out as he tugged his sword loose, the creature's body splashing into nothingness before him.

"One hundred? Psssshtt!" Oleander snorted as he ducked to avoid a blow, sending a slew of bright psiblasts forth as he did so. "That makes one hundred and TWELVE!" He said with a triumphant grin.

Raz shot him a look out outrage. "That's no fair!" He cried as number one hundred and one screeched before him.

"It's totally fair!" Oleander grunted as he kicked and took out yet another. "You have the height advantage!"

"You have psychic powers!" Raz cried as he ducked and rolled across the earth, a lance shattering the ground where he had stood.

"You have a Goddamn sword!" Oleander shot back.

"Yeah, and I don't know how to use it!" The teen exclaimed as he leaped back to his feet, jabbing at another creature.

"Whiner!" The coach cried as he leaped into the air, then slammed his psychic fist downward, sending multiple creatures flying into the air with a burst of energy. "Ha! That's one hundred and TWENTY!"

Raz scowled as he turned back to his own opponents, closing his eyes and grumbling as he placed both hands upon the hilt of his sword. He then twisted in a circle, sending a spiral of fire flying outward, destroying several of the beasts at once.

It was true, Raz had absolutely no idea how to use a sword. He was a decent marksman, he was pretty good at hand to hand combat, but when it came to this sort of thing he was clueless. However, with this sword... in a way, it didn't even feel like he was the one controlling it. The blade moved for him, guided his hands and body in the way they should go. All Raz could do was follow the sword, which was alright, since it seemed to know exactly what to do.

In spite of this, however, it did not change the fact that Raz and Oleander were severely outnumbered. It seemed for every creature that fell, five more took their place. Each seemed to never tire, never falter, never waver, their movements mechanical and smooth as well oiled machines. Raz and Oleander, however, did tire, and as time went on their movements were not so precise. Oleander would start moving a bit too late, or perhaps Raz's guard would come up a little slower than he meant.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Raz and Oleander had moved to the point where the castle gates were a mere hundred yards away. With a final slice the last beast fell, leaving the two Psychonauts standing in an empty, liquid-soaked wasteland, panting for breath as blood and sweat ran down their faces.

"And that," Raz grunted as he leaned on his sword, breathing heavily. "Makes five hundred."

"Damn... guess that means we're even," Oleander panted.

"Huh..." The teen gave a barking cough, then spat out some blood and wiped his mouth. "I'm... amazed you were able to keep up."

"Yeah, I still got it," The coach murmured, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a gloved hand.

"Yeah... we don't have a winner, though. Too bad there wasn't just one more," Raz shook his head, then hefted his sword up on his shoulder and turned towards the gate. "Ah well. Come on Coach, let's get out of here."

The instant he took a step forward, there was a great sound from behind him, like water being sucked down thousands of drains. The teen paused, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the sound stopped after a few moments with a_ 'pop!'_. "You have to be kidding me..." He muttered as he turned back.

He had thought there had been a huge army before, but in comparison to this, that had been child's play. Where there had once been a thousand, there were now millions, so many that you could not tell where one creature began and another ended. They may as well have been a single teeming mass of dark water, millions of sapphire eyes fixed upon the pair of Psychonauts nearly upon their doorstep.

"You just _had _to say it, didn't you, kid?" Oleander growled as he fell back into a fighting stance.

"I... oh man..." Raz sputtered, his breath catching in his throat. "There must be..."

"Millions," Oleander finished grimly.

Raz gave a weak nod. "I... there's no way... I don't have time... we're so _close..._" He shot a glance back at the gate, his jade green eyes wide. It was so close... but if they both made a run for it, there was no way they'd get there before getting taken down.

Oleander stood in silence for a moment, glancing back at the gate as well. He then looked to Raz. "Well, what're you still standin' here for, Maggot?"

"What?" Raz sputtered, looking down at Oleander.

"Are you really that dense, kid!? I'll hold 'em off, you go on ahead!" Oleander growled.

"What!? NO!" Raz cried, shaking his head violently. "You have to be kidding me, there's millions of those things, there's no way you'd survive!" As he said this, the creatures seemed to be humming to life, a collective snarl rising up from among them.

The coach snorted. "Idiot, _I'll _be fine. You're the important one here, if you die, that's it."

"But... but... this mind is different, what if you..." Raz shook his head again. "Can't... can't you just go with me? Maybe if we both just make a break for it, we..." He trailed off, looking desperate.

Oleander just stared at him for a moment. "Come on Maggot, suck it up. You have to keep going and you damn well know it. Besides..." He glanced up at the gate again, the moonlight reflecting off of it. "That door'll only open for one, anyway."

Raz frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jaws snapped and tails twitched, lips pulled back to reveal needle sharp fangs.

"Come on, do you really think those things are gonna sit there and wait for us to have a whole damn conversation!? Stop yammering and get moving!" Oleander snapped, shoving Raz towards the gate before turning back to the army before him.

Raz stumbled forward, then glanced back. "But... Coach..."

There was a great roar, and as one the army charged.

"Razputin... just promise me one thing," Oleander said as the beasts rose up against him, leaping into the air and becoming a looming wall of dark water, shimmering blades, and gnashing teeth. "I don't care what happens in there, what you find... but you damn well better come back."

Raz swallowed thickly. "...I will. And you better come back too... or I'll kill you, you hear me!?" He said, hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Oleander grinned. "Good. Then go!" With that, he charged towards the looming beasts, a ferocious snarl upon his lips as he leaped into the fray.

Raz grit his teeth, then turned and began racing towards the gate, his tattered trenchcoat and scarf whipping out behind him as he ran. His arms pumped, sweat running down his face, jade eyes fixed upon that silvery white entryway. With a flash of orange, levitation gave him an added burst of speed, his breath coming out in short puffs as the ornate entryway loomed ever closer. Closer and closer as he ran faster and faster, the sounds of the din of battle and Oleander's cries growing nearer and nearer. Still, he forced himself to ignore them as he leaped for the great steps, drawing closer and finally--

"GAH!" The teen let out a cry as his toe caught at the tip of the first step, sending him sprawling across cold, aged silvery marble. He let out a groan as he slid across the stone, leaving blood in his wake. He then forced himself back to his feet, casting a panicked glance towards the creatures behind him as he did so.

Jade green eyes widened at the sight of the wall of gnashing teeth and blades nearly upon him, and with a shout Raz turned back towards the gate and leaped up towards the steps, trying to ignore the way to combined chill of the beasts seemed to be sucking him in. One step, two, three, and then five more, he was going to make it! He reached out for the door, gloved palm stretching out to touch it...

And then quite suddenly with a snarl one beast separated itself from the pack, it's eyes gleaming with murderous intent, maw wide, lance aimed for his heart, talons grasping for the teen's thin frame. Raz spun to face it, his fist clenching around the hilt of his sword as he realized he was far too late...

There was a loud _WHUMPH! _as small, but powerful arms suddenly took him and shoved him aside, sending him flying towards the the gate. There was a loud rumbling noise as the gates seemed to come to life at Raz's touch, stretching open as if they were the yawning jaws of a great beast, the white light within for him and him alone. However, Raz took no notice of this as he fell backward, his eyes instead fixed upon the one who had taken the blow for him.

"Coach!" He cried, jade green eyes wide as he gaped at the man who had been the first teach him. Shredded khaki material and blood shot through the air as talons and a shimmering lance met flesh, a terrible roar filling the air. Yet even through all this, a dark brown eye and a glass one met his, a scarred, blood-spattered face stretching into a grim smile.

"Remember, you promised, kid!"

Raz let out a scream, gloved hand stretching out for his teacher as he fell through the shimmering doorway, as if he could do something, anything! Gloved fingers reached desperately for that khaki army shirt, as if he just caught that he could pull Coach Oleander through... but just before he could touch him, the older Psychonaut vanished in a burst of dark green psychic energy.

"NO!" The teen shouted as he fell with a thud, blood-soaked clothes and battered frame skidding across the floor. The beasts just outside gave a shriek and charged towards the door as Raz fell, still reaching and grasping... and then with a loud BANG the gates slammed shut, unforgiving.

There were thousands of smaller bangs and crunches as number upon number of creatures swarmed against the gates... and then after a few moments all fell silent, save for Raz breathing heavily in the dark.

And once again, Raz was alone.

--  

Outside, in the cold mountain air, Oleander suddenly jerked as if he'd been struck, his eyes flying open for a moment. He gave a heavy cough, spitting blood out onto a gloved palm as his other hand flew to his chest. "What..." He trailed off. Without warning, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and with a groan the wanna-be drill sergeant collapsed in the snow.

Milla's eyes fluttered open at the sound, her emerald gaze flitting from Raz to the Coach's bloodied form. "MORRY!" She shrieked, causing Ford and Lili to jerk out of concentration as well.

"What the... what happened!?" Lili asked, her eyes wide as she stared at Oleander.

Ford frowned, reaching out and taking his pulse. "He's still alive... just barely. But how..." He trailed off, glancing between Raz and Oleander.

Milla's brow furrowed. "Ford?"

The old man scratched his chin. "Earlier... it felt almost as if mine and Razputin's minds synced up for a bit, as if..." He trailed off again, then looked to Sasha. While the others had noticed Morry's condition, Sasha remained as he was, eyes fluttering behind his sunglasses, a dark blue glow flaring around him in his trance. Milla glanced at him as well, concern upon her face.

"Sasha?" She asked, reaching out as if to shake him. Immediately, Ford reached out and stopped her.

"No, don't touch him. Right now... it'd be dangerous for both of them."

"Both of them?" Milla and Lili repeated, both looking confused.

Ford shook his head and waved it off. "You'll see. Now you two go back to helping Razputin. I'll keep Morry warm and make sure he doesn't die either, alright?"

"Are you sure you don't want me to help?" Milla asked.

"Oh no, I can handle it. Besides... he'll need you more than Morry does right now," Ford said, nodding to Raz. At Milla's confused look Ford just smiled. "You'll see." Milla stared at him for a moment, then nodded and placed her hands on Raz again without another word, going back into a trance. Once certain she had done this Ford turned to Oleander's unconscious form, frowning.

"What on earth did you two get into after me? And more importantly... does it get worse from here?"

--

Raz wasn't sure how long he lay there, barely supporting himself with shuddering arms, his heavy panting echoing through the room. His green eyes remained fixated on the door, his knees shaking. After awhile, his arms gave way and he slumped, a light clatter echoing through the area as his face pressed against the chilly, marble-like surface of the floor.

"God... I sure hope he'll be alright..." The teen muttered.

"I believe you are underestimating Morry, Razputin," A deep, accented voice rang through the air.

Raz's eyes widened and he pushed himself up on his palms, craning his neck backwards. "Sasha!?" He sputtered.

The German Psychonaut towered above him, hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, that same old stubborn strand of hair hanging in his face. "That man can shake off being hit by a bus, I assure you he will be fine," He stated, a smile flitting across his pale face for a moment.

Raz smiled back for a moment, in spite of himself. "I... guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Have I ever been wrong?" Sasha asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Well, there was that one time--"

"Okay, okay, enough of that. No time for talk, you have places to be," Sasha cut in. He held out a gloved hand, which Raz accepted, and pulled the boy to his feet.

As Raz stood, he glanced around the room for the first time, his jaw dropping at what he saw. This place was huge! The walls stretched high above them, a gorgeous, shimmering white stone that was covered in various exquisite carvings that seemed to display a never-ending battle between heaven and hell. The circular, marble floor was decorated with several beautiful statues at key points, angels with eyes that peered into the very depths of your soul, demons that snarled as if your mere glance was enough to enrage them, fearsome dragons that howled towards the heavens. Chandeliers and candles hung from a nonexistant ceiling, their dangling chains seeming to vanish into the endless night sky above them. Thousands of clear glass stairs, coiled their way around the airspace above the floor, some going straight up, others dipping downward, some finishing at doorways while others simply tapered off or began in midair. They had no railing or any sort of support beneath them, they simply floated in the air, as if suspended by their own accord.

It was a bit mind-boggling, to say the least.

"Wow... and this is only the entryway?" Raz breathed.

"So it would seem," Sasha murmured.

"This place must be huge..." Raz muttered, his hands clenching into fists at his side. "Where do I_ start_?"

"Well... I suppose we ought to start with the only staircase that begins here," Sasha stated, gesturing to the shimmering glass steps before them.

"Guess so..." Raz said. He took another glance at Sasha, whom nodded, then took a deep breath and made for the stairs.

The instant his foot touched the first glass step, everything changed. The entire room seemed to flip, causing Raz's stomach to flop as his head spun. Up became down, left became right, colors twisted, inverted, changed and ran as if the marble were paint diluted by water. Stairs flipped and twisted, coiled around each other like snakes, chandeliers shattered and changed into new forms.

When the room was finally done with its metamorphosis, Raz groaned from the spot on the stairs where he he had fallen. "Oh God...what was that?" He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his aching head.

"Surely you did not expect this to be so easy," Sasha quirked an eyebrow at him, though he seemed a little ruffled as well in spite of his attempt to appear calm and collected.

"I guess you're right..." Raz grumbled as he glanced around. "This _is_ Nereus' mind."

"Indeed... I would expect nothing short of a labyrinth awaits us," The German agreed.

Raz nodded. "Guess so... might as well get started." With that, the two began to make their way up (or rather, down) the spiraling staircase, the shimmering images of the ever-changing entryway reflecting upon the glass steps.

After making their way up the stairs, the two found themselves in a hallway filled with ornate doors of different sizes. Some were tall and wide, others tiny, some crammed together as if they were some sort of freak siamese twins, while still others seemed to be fading out of existence. Some were placed upon the floor, others on the ceiling, each carved with different markings and colors.

"Alright, now what?" Raz muttered.

"Well... I suppose you must choose a door," Sasha stated.

"Me?" Raz repeated, blinking.

The German gave a sigh. "Surely by now all the 'follow your heart', 'the door only opens for you' and 'you know the way' nonsense has sunk in. You cannot be _that_ oblivious," He drawled, adjusting his sunglasses. In spite of this, he was smiling, though why Raz didn't understand.

"Oh..." Raz huffed and looked away as his face turned red. "I-I got it. Really."

Sasha's smile widened. "Then choose."

Raz nodded, then stepped forward, frowning as he looked at the doors. He then closed his eyes and allowed his hand to drift before him, reaching not only for a doorknob, but for something more, like grasping for strands of psychic energy with his mind and yet different.

He began to step past the various doors, fingertips brushing over polished, carved entryways. He could catch strains of twisting emotions from each one, intense feelings of anger, hatred, pain... so much pain. Voices whispering bits of memories that did not belong, the soft sounds of a lone boy singing...

"_Cursum perficio, cursum perficio..."_

Finally Raz paused before a single door, his hand hovering over the knob. "Here," He said simply. "This is where we need to go."

"Are you certain?" Sasha asked, walking over to him.

"_Verbum sapienti, eo plus cupiant..."_

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

Raz nodded. "I'm sure. For now... it's the only one that will open."

"Alright then, open it," The German Psychonaut nodded back.

Raz smiled, then turned to open the door... only to let out a yelp as the hallway quite suddenly turned on its side and dumped them through the doorway!

"WHAT THE HEEEEELLLLLL!?" Raz cried as he and Sasha fell through a sky, shattered as if it were a mirror, tinted with the colors just before a storm. Green and yellow clouds rushed past on shattered pieces of glass, various chains hanging from them. Coiled in these chains were none other than a variety of mangled corpses, their faces shrouded by tattered cloth.

The two Psychonauts finally landed on a glass-like suface, hitting it with a loud _"Thud!" _and a squeak.

"Of course," Sasha muttered as he got to his feet. "You had to choose to be haunted by the villain whose mind would only make sense to Salvador Dali."

"Who?" Raz repeated as he stood as well, looking confused.

"You don't know who... why am I even bothering to wonder, of course you don't know who Salvador Dali is," Sasha groaned, putting his face in his hands. "When we get out of this I'll have to educate you on some proper culture."

"Wha?" Raz blinked. "I'm cultured! I read comic books all the time!"

"And therein lies the problem," Sasha drawled, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"Hey!"

"Enough of that, Razputin, focus," The German stated, gesturing around them.

Raz glanced around, frowning. "...It's a broken sky. Full of dead people," He observed, grimacing as he looked away from one of the more gruesome bodies.

"Very good. Now the question is, how do we move on?" Sasha murmured.

The teen's brow furrowed. "Good question." He glanced around...and then his eyes finally fell upon an ornate doorway floating high above them, a single piece of the shattered sky floating before it like a doorstep. "Well, there's the exit... the problem is, how do we get to it?" He wondered aloud.

Sasha frowned as well, glancing around the area. "Well... I believe there are enough pieces here to create a pathway, we merely need to move them."

"Moving the sky... right, that doesn't sound weird at _all_," Raz said, folding his arms and rocking back on his heels. As he did so, he bumped into one of the hanging corpses, causing him to yelp. "Gah!" He flailed on reflex, his gloved hand knocking the shroud from the corpse's face.

The instant he did so, one of the pieces of sky gave a loud creak, as if protesting... and then quite suddenly it drifted across the dark expanse of nothingness as if it were a ship sailing across the sea. The darkness rippled as it came to rest a bit closer to where Raz and Sasha were.

Raz blinked. Sasha blinked.

"Hm..." Sasha frowned, then reached out and flicked his fingers. "Strange, my telekinesis isn't working... Razputin, would you remove the shroud from that corpse over there?"

"Huh? Isn't that kind of disrespectful?" Raz asked, making a face.

"They're mental corpses, it hardly matters," Sasha pointed it.

"Ugh..." Raz reached out and twitched his gloved fingers, averting his eyes. The shroud was pulled from a corpse nearby, and another piece of the sky suddenly sailed forward, moving towards Raz and Sasha... only to hit the piece of sky that had moved earlier and bounce back as if it were a bumper car.

The German Psychonaut frowned, then glanced back at Raz. "Razputin... replace the shroud on our friend, would you?"

"Er, sure..." Raz flicked his fingers, picking up the shroud up with telekinesis and replacing it. The first shard of sky quickly moved back to its original place, and the other shard, now with nothing in it's path, moved and came to a stop before Raz and Sasha.

"Compelling..." Sasha murmured, adjusting his sunglasses. "If they aren't moved in the proper order, then they stay where they are. However, if done properly, they may create a path to our door."

"You mean it's a puzzle?" Raz asked.

"Indeed."

"Aw man," Raz groaned. "These things are bad enough in video games."

"Yes yes, whine whine. Would you kindly remove that shroud from the corpse over there?" Sasha asked, gesturing.

Raz grumbled, but did as he was told. Another corpse was unveiled and another piece of sky sailed into place. They carried on like this for awhile, Raz doing as Sasha told him, occasionally backtracking as the order of the pieces grew slightly more confusing. Finally, however, the last piece was put into place.

"Ugh..." Raz muttered as he stepped across the pieces of the sky. "Right, I'm never doing that again." With that, he wrenched the door open and stepped through.

"Indeed," Sasha agreed. He took a glance back at the room for a moment, at all the un-shrouded corpses, their faces twisted in agony, dead blond hair hanging limply over rotting eyes... then shook his head and stepped through the door.

"...Weren't we just here?" Raz wondered aloud. The two once again stood in the hallway full of doors, the little boy's voice ringing eeriely throughout them.

Sasha frowned as he stepped through the door. "Razputin, slash this door with your sword. Hurry!" He said.

"Wha?" Raz sputtered, then yelped as Sasha grabbed his arm and pulled it upwards. The sword materialized as if on reflex, its flames leaving a great scorched gash across the door's surface. It was rather fortunate that he did too, as a moment later there was a tinkling noise, like thousands of bells... and quite suddenly the doors changed! They simply erupted from the sides of the hallway as if alive, caught in a whirlwind and spinning. Raz let out a yelp as the doors sped past him and around him... only to settle into different places in the hallway, drifting into their spots like feathers on the wind. Once they had finally settled, there was the sound of a lock clicking open.

"...Well then," Raz said as he glanced at the door with the gash across it, which now lay upon the ceiling. "That was a very good idea, I'll have to admit."

"Of course," Sasha shrugged.

"So... I take it that lock clicking meant another door is open?" Raz glanced up at Sasha.

"I would assume so," The German Psychonaut stated, taking a cigarette from his coat pocket.

"Right... so that means every time we go into a room and do whatever needs to be done there, this hallway changes and another door unlocks. We just keep doing that until we get where we need to go?"

"So it would seem," Sasha drawled, lighting the cigarette with pyrokinesis.

"Greeeaaaat," Raz muttered. "Sounds like fun. Now all I need are the cards made up of my memories and a girl popping up in my head made up of figments of my past."

Sasha stared blankly at him.

The goggle-headed boy groaned. "Nevermind, it's a video game analogy. Stupid Chain of Memories," He grumbled, stalking ahead. "Anyway, let's get going."

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

And so they did just that. Sasha and Raz made their way through room after room, solving puzzle after puzzle, avoiding one hazard after another. The rooms changed and differed drastically, some crafted entirely of crystal, while others were the sort of dungeon-like rooms one would honestly expect in the mind of a man whom seemed to take such delight in torture. They found an hour-glass shaped room filled with a constantly looping stream of time, forever transforming dozens of doves from eggs to newborns to full grown creatures and back again. They found a room made of nothing but cogs and wheels like a clock, though when they were activated they were actually revealed to be a music box. They found rooms made from liquid, rooms filled with forgotten circus attire that echoed eeriely of Raz's own mind. They found giant tarot cards, chess pieces, strange shapes of the occult, a room of eternal night.

In spite of all these differences, each of the rooms had their similarities. They all echoed of nothing but sorrow and pain, a ringing loneliness that nipped at the back of one's mind and could never be quieted, even with others talking as loudly as they could to drown it out. There was pain and sorrow and hurt, and occasionally a bitter sadness, touched with a sweet tang that lingered on nothing more than a longing to know if this was what joy was.

And always, always, there was the boy singing.

"_Post nubila, Phoebus..."_

The words hung in the air in a soft broken melody, the whispers of a child who knew nothing and saw everything as something of wonder, searching out the light within the darkness with tiny fingers, searching, always searching, unaware of the darkness closing around him.

"_Iternum, iternum..."_

Always searching.

"It's weird..." Raz commented as he and Sasha made their way down yet another hallway. Portraits of what Raz assumed to be Nereus' various ancestors lined the walls, some covered by dusty sheets while others were ripped, as if their canvas' had been clawed apart by some sort of monster.

"What is?" Sasha questioned, glancing over at the teen.

"Just... all of this," The teen nodded, gesturing to everything. "Why am I here? Why am I so involved in all of his memories? It's just... it's weird. It's not even like he's hating me, it's just..." The goggle-headed boy trailed off, brow furrowing.

Sasha nodded grimly. "It makes it difficult, doesn't it?"

Raz nodded. "Just... I mean, I can't forgive him for what he did, but I..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, whatever it is between him and me. It doesn't change what was done."

"No, it does not... but at the same time, however, I don't think in the end that will matter," Sasha said.

"What do you mean?" Raz blinked, glancing up at Sasha.

Sasha frowned as he flicked some ash from his cigarette. "It is only a theory..." He began slowly. "But I believe you and Nereus are connected, have been connected, and will always be connected. Your powers come from the same source, your psyches are perfectly aligned in the collective unconscious, you are gathering your psychic powers from the same core...it sounds foolish, but you are complete opposites, and in that sense you are exactly alike. You sync together perfectly, as if you are two halves of the same whole... I've never seen anything like it."

Raz's brow furrowed. "Sounds like a bunch of crappy Chinese philosophy."

The German Psychonaut chuckled. "Perhaps... I cannot believe I am even suggesting this, honestly. You seem to have the effect of making me consider things I would ordinarily consider nothing more than childish fairy tales."

Raz grinned. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Sasha shook his head and almost smiled. "In a way... I believe these connections are not so farfetched. I am here, after all, even if by all sense I should not be, correct?" He quirked a brow at Raz.

The teen nodded. "Yeah... and Ford and the Coach were here too..."

"Indeed," Sasha nodded. "I am starting to believe that perhaps such connections are not as farfetched as I once thought. At any rate, I believe... in a way, Nereus has always been searching for you, and unconsciously, you have been doing the same. You need each other to exist, to balance each other out. Your minds are connected in a way that I have never seen before.. like two sides of the same coin. Without him... I am starting to suspect you would not exist either, simply because your psyche is so dependent upon his." At Raz's frown Sasha chuckled, "Do not worry, I'm sure you'll find a solution somehow... but don't be so hasty to think that destroying each other may be the only answer."

Raz frowned. "I'm not sure I understand..."

"I did not expect you to... nor do I expect myself to understand either." Sasha shrugged. "My time with you has made me realize something... perhaps there are things out there that truly cannot entirely be understood."

"Wow." Raz's eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "Who'd have thought we'd ever hear Sasha Nein saying something like that?"

The dark-haired man gave a small laugh at that. "Indeed, who would have seen such a thing coming? Then again, everything about you has been quite unexpected. You seem to have a talent when it comes to this sort of thing, Razputin."

Raz glanced up at his mentor and smiled. "You really think so?"  Sasha smirked. "Are you fishing for compliments now, Razputin?" At the teen's blush Sasha chuckled. "Do not worry about it... of course do not let this go to your head either." Sasha quirked a brow at Raz, whom cocked his head to the side as he listened.

"Razputin, please understand... you are important to all of us. Do not underestimate your own worth," The German Psychonaut murmured, putting his hands in his pockets and gazing ahead as he continued to walk. "It feels strange to be saying such a thing... but after watching you come upon so many obstacles and surpass them, watching you change and grow... I am proud to refer to you as both my greatest student and my friend. In fact, if I were completely honest... to me, you are something like a son."  The teen paused in his walk, eyes wide as he stared at Sasha's back. "Wow... Sasha... I..." He trailed off, then shook his head and smiled. "Thank you, Sasha."

Sasha shook his head, trying his best to not acknowledge the small smile on his face. "At any rate... personal confessions aside, I do believe we have reached our latest door." The dark-haired man came to a stop before yet another entryway, this one just as ornate and beautiful as all the others the pair had come across in their journey throughout the castle. Unlike the other doorways, however, this one was scratched and torn. Deep gouges were clawed into the slick, dark paint, revealing the plain wood beneath it.

Raz frowned at the door for a moment, then glanced up at Sasha, whom nodded. Shrugging, the teen grabbed the golden doorknob and turned it.

The door swung open into a small room. The walls were deceptively bare and white, whereas the floor was made of bits of dusty earth and patches of dry, long dead grass. In spite of this, the room was oddly warm in comparison to the dead chill that had permeated throughout the rest of the castle, as if the grass had merely been killed from too many days spent in the warm summer sun and not enough rain. Somehow, this description seemed oddly fitting, especially when one considered the other contents of the room.

**-Razputin... Razputin...-**

"A... swingset?" The goggle-headed teen blinked in confusion as he stepped out onto the deadened grass. Indeed, erected within the room was a tall swingset, the chains rusted and the metal dulled, as if it had not been used in years. A nearby slide had the same unused, forgotten look to it, and the merry-go-round definitely looked like it had seen better days. The swings swayed gently in a nonexistent breeze, the merry-go-round spun weakly... it all carried the sad air of lost childish happiness, of innocence long forgotten.

Suffice to say, it was a bit of a change from the morbid discoveries Raz and Sasha were used to.

"What on earth..." Raz muttered as he traced his fingertips along the rusted bars of the swingset, catching traces of loneliness, pain, and... laughter? He looked to Sasha, brow furrowing. "What is this place?"

As he spoke, a child's laugh could be heard softly echoing through the room, causing the hair on the back of the teen's neck to stand on end.

The German shook his head, brow furrowing. "I... cannot say I know. This is quite different from out previous endeavors." He glanced around, eyes finally settling on a small, cracked memory vault curled up under the slide. "Perhaps that could provide some assistance?"

Raz's eyes fell on the sleeping memory vault and he sighed. "Again?" He walked over to the slide and knelt down, the dead grass prickling at his knees. After a moment of hesitation, he patted the vault gently on it's top. "Hey little guy, you want to come out?" The teen said, trying to sound gentle. The vault flinched, then peered up at him with watery eyes, whimpering. Raz offered a small smile and patted it again. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," He murmured gently. The vault gave a low whine, casting it's gaze to the ground as it opened it's mouth to reveal a tattered, beaten reel.

The young Psychonaut took the reel and stood, shaking his head. "I just don't get it... for such a creep, the mental entities in Nereus' mind sure do have a lot of personality," Raz commented as he walked over to a rusty-looking player.

Sasha shrugged. "I... really have no idea. This place is... different."

Raz snorted. "No kidding. Anyway, let's take a look at..." The teen paused as he blinked at the title. "'Friends'? ...Nereus had _friends_?"

"Well, I doubt he was that abnormal. It was certainly a ridiculously popular and overrated sitcom," Sasha commented dryly. Raz quirked a brow at him. "Oh come now, Razputin. Just play it."

"I could have sworn Ford said you didn't have a sense of humor during this sort of thing..." Raz muttered. With that, he popped the reel into the player and it began to play.

--

It was four years before Nereus was aware he had a sister.

It had not been long after the incident in the town. Shiny pink burns still covered the boy's pale frame, eliciting whispers and comments all throughout the Galochio camp. Nereus chose to ignore them, his pale blond head held high. What did their comments matter? They didn't. Nereus had been enduring such things all his life... why should a few more bother him? He was well aware that he hadn't made a mistake... right?

No, no, it could not have been a mistake. Even if those people had been wrong... there had to be some good out there somewhere, wasn't there?

...Wasn't there?

He was starting to wonder. All he had known so far had been this camp, his training, and the sneers and glares of the rest of the family. All that he had known were whispers in the dead of night, murmurs of how he did not properly fit his role, cold eyes gazing down at him... this was all he knew. Was this all there was? Was this really it?

Was this the world?

No, no, that could not be right... he had seen the world. He saw it flashes through a different set of eyes, saw a great gleaming buildings and hundreds of people so much like him, saw eyes that judged but felt confidence that was not his, felt pats on the back and words of encouragement, so foreign to his ears, from adults he did not know. He felt agony that made him want to cry as others gazed at him with disdain, as others looked down on him, as he fought and fought and no matter how many times he was hurt he kept going. He saw a pair of amber eyes and felt a small hand slip into another, and though he felt a pang of jealousy he also felt... warmth. Love.

He saw the world through the eyes of Razputin, these flashes and moments happening more and more often, small treasures that filled his heart with warmth... and little by little, Razputin became his world. Razputin became his hope, his escape, his light, his everything.

What were the Galochio sneers in comparison to that smile?

It was this thought that kept him going as the boy made his way past various run down caravans, ignoring the way his body ached from yet another rough day of training. His bare feet padded over beaten down grass, his white tunic covered in dirt and bits of dried blood. Hardly fitting of his place, but the ten-year old didn't care. His current focus was on his caravan and getting a few hours sleep before he was roused for some other terrible practice. Perhaps he'd be lucky and he'd even dream.

The blond was pulled from his thoughts by a soft cry. Blinking, he glanced around. Again he heard the sound, followed by the '_crack!_' of something swishing through the air and another yelp, this time clearly in pain. This was not abnormal for the Galochio camp, and so Nereus nearly turned away... but again he heard the cry and felt something in his heart twist. _'Razputin wouldn't walk away.' _Sapphire eyes narrowed and Nereus followed the noise, stepping through a maze of caravans and tents, heading past the more ornate ones belonging to him and his father and towards the run-down tents, where the cooks and other lower members of the clan lived.

He finally ended up behind one of the cooking caravans... however, upon hearing someone yelling, he ducked into the shadows as he focused on the scene before him. There seemed to an elderly woman clad in a plain brown robe, her graying hair tied back and a variety of tattoos covering her body. She stood over a small child, her expression one of anger as she tapped a switch against her wrinkled palm. "What did you think you were doing!?" She snarled, her voice heavily accented. "All that we asked you to do was a simple cleaning job! One would think that even a pathetic child like you could manage _that_!"

The child gave a whimper from the ground, her long blonde hair falling over her face as it bowed low to the ground. Her dress was gray and tattered, her thin pale body covered in bruises. "I... I..."

"Silence!" Again the switch came down, striking the little girl's lithe frame and eliciting a yelp of pain from her. "Who said you have the right to speak, cursed child!? You should have been happy to even have been allowed to work in the kitchens, you non-psychic brat!"

Nereus' eyes widened. A non-psychic? In the Galochio camp!? He had never heard of this... this was insane. What was he was supposed to do?

The girl gave a sob as she curled up on the ground, blonde hair rubbing into the dust. The woman gave a scowl as she stepped around the tiny child. "Insolent girl... a non-psychic, born into our family! From the head of the family, at that! You were meant to be the heir's servant, his tool! Now look at you! You are worthless!" With this words the switch came down three more times, heedless of the way the little girl shrieked and cried out for mercy. "You have no right to be in anyone's presence! You are no child of ours!" With that, the switch flashed down a final time.

And was quite suddenly stopped by a flash of blue energy.

The woman's eyes widened and she let out a shriek of outrage. "What's this!? Who is there!?" She snarled, glancing around. "Anya, if you are toying with me again it will be your hide I beat next!"

Nereus' eyes narrowed as he stepped into the light. He couldn't just watch anymore... not after everything he had heard. "My lady, is it really wise to be speaking to the_ Heir_ in such a tone?" He hissed, allowing the blue glow around the switch to dissipate.

Her face went pale. "L-Lord Nereus!" She gasped. "I-I... my apologies." She bowed low, but even in the shadows Nereus could see the way her face twisted. She did not appreciate bowing to him. "I... I was told you were still training today, sir, and as such I assumed you would not be gracing us with your presence today..."

The blond quirked a brow at her. "I have finished my training today. My father has not given me any instruction that says I may not wander around my own camp," He drawled. He glanced from the woman to the girl, expression stony and far too serious for a ten-year old.

"I... of course, sir," The cook murmured, straightening and forcing a smile. Her eyes nervously went from Nereus to the girl at their feet. "If... if I may ask, sir... perhaps I may suggest that you continue on your stroll? You needn't bother yourself with the dirty servants quarters, sir... especially with such a disgusting sight as this." She glared down at the girl.

Nereus glanced down at the girl, frowning as she glanced up. He locked gazes with her and his eyes widened. One of her eyes was similar to his... but the other's white pupil dilated at the sight of him.

"What are you doing!?" The woman shrieked, kicking the girl. "Do not gaze at the heir with that disgusting thing!" She glanced back to Nereus, forcing a smile. "My dear boy... perhaps now would be a good time to leave? After all, I am certain you have much to do, and there is no need to trouble yourself with this..."

"And leave you to continue abusing this girl?" The blond quirked a brow.

The cook scowled. "Do not speak of things you do not know. I was merely punishing this girl... surely you understand," She glanced at his back, smirking. "'Spare the rod, spoil the child', after all... you know that quite well, don't you, my _Lord_._" _The title was sneered this time.

Nereus merely glared back. "I do believe she has been punished enough for now, my lady. Now then... I do believe you should leave my _sister_ alone." At these words he glanced down at the girl again, expression softening.

He had a sister... he had never known.

The woman's eyes widened. "You... you're not supposed to know that!" She gasped, face paling. "G-get away from her! Get away or I'll--"

Nereus quirked a brow. "Or what? You'll tell my father? Won't you get in trouble for being the one who let it slip?" He drawled.

The cook gasped, stepping back. "I... I..." She stuttered, sweat running down her face.

"I think it's time for you to leave, my lady," The blond stated calmly. "That is, unless _you'd _like to be the one to face my father's wrath."

"I... I..." The woman stuttered... then turned and ran. "You had better keep quiet about this! And stay away from her, she's a disgusting creature!" She called behind her as she ducked back into the caravan.

The instant the door closed Nereus knelt by the girl's side, sapphire eyes shadowed as he gazed down at her beaten form. He had a sister. He had a sister... and no one had ever told him? Why? Just because she wasn't psychic? That wasn't right... she had it just as badly as he did, if not worse. The blond shook his head, now was not the time for thinking. He had more important things to worry about. But what to do? She was shaking and hurt... he didn't know how to deal with someone like that. What would Razputin do? The blond frowned, then took a deep breatth. He glanced to the girl, extending a hand towards her and hesitantly placing it on her shoulder.

The instant he did, the blonde yelped and curled inward. "G-get away, I'm sorry, I won't--"

Nereus put a finger to her lips, causing her eyes to widen. "Shh... I'm not going to hurt you," He placed a hand on her shoulder again, trying to keep his voice gentle. "Relax... that woman is gone now."

The blonde shivered for a few moments, then hesitantly opened her eyes and gazed up at him. "You... you're... I'm not supposed to... you're--"

"I know," The boy silenced her again. "Do not worry... no one will know. Now tell me... what is your name?"

His sister shuddered again, biting her lip. Finally, she spoke, her quivering voice hesitant. "I-Inoue. I... I'm Inoue."

Nereus gave a small smile, pulling her close. She smelled like sweat, blood, and tears, her hair was matted and a complete mess and tangled in his fingers... but he didn't care. She was family... and unlike everyone else, who needed him for his powers and nothing more... she needed him for him.

It was what Razputin would have done, after all.

"Inoue, hm? I'm Nereus... and I'm going to protect you. I promise."

And he did. Or at least... he had tried. He did what he could to watch after his younger sister, always visiting her in secret between his training. He would care for her wounds and hold her, reassure her, tell her she was loved... it wasn't nearly enough to be a proper relationship between brother and sister, it wasn't nearly enough... but they made do with what they had.

It was this that kept him going for another year... but even so, it was lonely. He had those gazes at Razputin, he had those occasional moments with his sister, but that was it.

He was around eleven when that too began to change.

It was a beautiful day in the Galochio camp. The family had settled in a beautiful field in the Romanian countryside, and everyone seemed to be enjoying it. The women chattered happily together in quick bursts of a strange language, the men laughed as they worked, the children rushed this way and that through the long grass, playing all sorts of games.

All but Nereus, whom sat alone. His knees were pulled up to his chest as he gazed across the field, sapphire eyes dark. The wind tousled his silvery blond hair, white tunic billowing slightly. He had finished his training for the day and now found himself with very little to do besides sit and stare into space. The other children were playing, but they seemed to take no notice of him.

"Do you think we should invite him to play? He's all alone over there..." He heard one boy whisper and perked up slightly. The boy looked like he was around five and his short blonde hair was a mess, his teeth not much better off. He was clad in a tattered and dirty blue leotard.

"I've never seen him before..." A girl said. She looked no older than six, her long blonde hair billowing around her, her dark gray dress swirling around her knobby knees.

A third shook his head, picking up their ball. He looked like he was around Nereus' age and was gazing at the lone boy warily, his long dirty blond hair sticking greasily to his head. "Don't go near him. Don't you idiots know? That's the Heir. The vessel of Indra," He hissed.

The other two gave gasps and turned to gape at Nereus, then quickly looked away, only to glance back again. "Him? But he looks so... normal," The younger boy whispered. "I heard the Heir was so amazingly powerful..."

"Of course he looks normal, you moron. But he's powerful... he spends every day training, that's why you don't see him. He has to, you know... he's connected to that Aquato, the vessel for Vritra,"

Again the younger two gasped. "Aquato!?" The girl yelped.

"Yeah," The older boy nodded solemnly. "That's what my mom told me. That's why he has to stay away from everyone else, why he has to train... he may be the next head of the family and we may have to listen to whatever he says... but he's cursed. My mom says we're not supposed to go near him. He's dangerous."

"W-we'd better stay away!" The younger boy exclaimed.

"Y-yeah..." The younger two cast nervous glances at Nereus, then took their ball and scampered away.

Nereus' blinked as they left, then sighed as he let his gaze drop to the dirt again. "Cursed, hm?" He murmured quietly, then gave a sad, bitter laugh. He had heard it before... the other children had always been hesitant to play with him, and it had been a few years before he had finally learned exactly why they all avoided him. The connection he treasured so much, his only respite, was also the thing that marked him as an outcast. He felt like he should have cried. He would have, if he were younger. But after so many years... he was beginning to be able to tell himself it didn't matter, that he didn't care. By this point, he was almost able to believe it.

Almost.

The blond gave a shuddering breath as he put his head in his arms. It didn't matter. It didn't. He didn't care. It didn't matter... all he had was his connection with Razputin, it didn't matter, it shouldn't, it--

"Hey, what's wrong?" A childish, cheery voice suddenly broke Nereus' train of thought as a hand was placed on his shoulder.

The blond jumped and grabbed the wrist on his shoulder by instinct, eyes flashing. "Don't touch me!" He snarled.

"O-ow! H-hey, that hurts!" The owner of the hand yelped, similar blue eyes widening. Nereus blinked as he took in the sight of a boy no older than him, clad in a plain gray, turtle-necked t-shirt and shorts. His blonde hair was a mess, sticking up in all directions, and there was a dirty bandaid stuck haphazardly to his cheek. Overall, he looked completely and utterly harmless.

Nereus glared at him for a moment, then huffed and released the other boy. "What do you want?" He muttered, looking back to the ground. No one ever spoke to him... usually children just gawked at him and moved on. Why on earth would that change?

The other boy took his hand back and rubbed his wrist, flashing a smile. "Er... well, I was helping my mom with her fortune telling stuff, right? And I was trying to be helpful... she's so nice! Always telling me 'You're such an idiot!' or 'You stupid child!', she's great! So anyway, I was helping my mom set up--"

"What does this have to do with you coming to talk to me?" Nereus asked bluntly, but went ignored.

"And I tripped, because I do that a lot, and screwed everything up. I told my mom I was sorry and she was so understanding, she said 'You stupid child! Go and bother someone else!' sooo I decided to go try to help everyone else around camp, but everyone said the same thing and told me to go away. So I came out here and I saw all the other kids playing and they all called me 'Moron', which is really funny since that's not my name and I tried to tell them that but I don't think they understood. Sooooo then I saw you all by yourself and I wondered why you were by yourself so I decided to come and see why!" The giddy child finally finished his long-winded explanation without taking so much as a breath and beamed.

Nereus stared at him. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, rather unsure of how to respond. "How did you..." The eleven-year old shook his head, then looked away. "Whatever. I don't care. Go away."

The talkative boy frowned. "But you didn't tell me why you're here by yourself!"

"I frankly do not care. Go away," Nereus said coldly, putting his head in his arms again.

"Awww, come on, don't be like that!" His visitor whined, plopping down on the rock next to him and poking him in the side. "Why are you all by yourself?"

"Go. Away." Nereus growled, his voice muffled by his tunic sleeves.

"Come oooonn!" The other boy poked him again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, now go away." The child's victim said stiffly.

"Aw, come on!" Poke.

"No."

"Come ooooon!" Poke, poke.

"No!"

"Pleaaase?" Even more poking.

"Would you stop that!?" Nereus snarled, slapping the other boy's hand away. "I am alone because I'm cursed, alright!? Is that a good enough answer for you!? I'm the Heir!" His voice rang through the air, sapphire eyes flashing dangerously even as they burned with tears that had begun to well up. While he had been able to hold them back earlier, saying his situation aloud was enough to bring all those painful feelings to the surface. "Didn't your stupid mother ever tell you about me!? There, now you know, I'm the monster connected to the Heir of Aquato! Are you happy now!?" His voice cracked at the end as he trailed off, panting after letting loose that explosion of emotion.

The other boy blinked at him for a moment. "You're the Heir?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

Nereus let out a shaky breath. "Yes. Now go away. I'm sure that's what you want to do anyway. Wouldn't want to catch the curse or anything," The blond mumbled as he looked away.

"Why would I want to go away?" The boy's voice spoke of innocent confusion, as if he simply could not understand why someone would want to leave Nereus alone.

The blond bit his lip as his throat constricted. Why wasn't this stupid child leaving!? "Because... I told you already, I'm cursed. I'm bad. Go away," He said, trying to keep the tears out of his voice. He just wanted the other boy to go away so he could properly cry undisturbed.

"You're bad?" The boy blinked, then shook his head and put his hand on Nereus' shoulder again, ignoring the way the other boy tensed at his touch. "I don't think you're bad... heck, you're the Heir! I think that's cool!"

Sapphire eyes widened and Nereus looked back at the boy, brow furrowing. "You... think it's cool?"

The other boy nodded, beaming. "Of course! You're awesome! I like you!" He declared, azure eyes sparkling.

Nereus stared at him. "You... like me?" He repeated, the words feeling foreign on his tongue. "W-why... no one... you must be lying," He said, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you playing a joke on me? I assure you if you are, you will sorely regret it." He hissed, hands clenching into fists even as he struggled to blink the tears away. He had seen the other children do it to each other, why wouldn't someone do it to him?

"A trick?" The boy blinked, then laughed and shook his head. "No, of course not! Why would I play a trick on you? That would be mean, especially to someone who I want to be friends with!"

"...Friends?" Nereus repeated. His eyes were wide with shock, which was enough for a single tear to slip down his cheek,

The strange boy blinked again. "Huh... why are you crying?" He asked, reaching for the other boy's face.

Nereus batted his hand away and shook his head. "I-I... I'm not..." He looked away and swiped at his face, then looked back, brow furrowing. "A friend... why would you want this from me?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" The other boy beamed. "You're cool and I like you, so now you're my friend! Yay!" He declared, throwing his arms around Nereus.

"Wha?" The eleven-year old sputtered and tried desperately to shove the other boy off. "Let go! I didn't agree to this!"

His self-declared 'friend' just laughed. "What's your name?" He asked, hugging Nereus tighter.

"Nereus. Now let go!" The blond snapped, still fighting against the boy's hold.

"Nereus? That's cool! My name's Spinoza!" The cheerful boy grinned.

"Spinoza..." The blond struggled for another moment, then went still, considering. To be hugged... it felt very soft and a bit annoyingly warm, and it didn't help that the other boy, Spinoza, was sticky with God only knew what. Even with all that, it wasn't so bad. Maybe he could handle this after all. On the other hand, this boy was annoying, so Nereus opted to give another growl and struggle some more. "Get away from me!"

"Okay!" Spinoza grinned and pulled away, azure eyes sparkling with glee. "I like friends! I have tons of them! We all hang out and they call me names and throw things at me and we all laugh and it's great!" He said brightly.

"...Somehow, I don't think your definition of 'friends' is the proper one," Nereus pointed out as he glared at Spinoza's ridiculously happy and oblivious face. He was still trying to work out how exactly he was going to tell this boy off.

"Hahaha, maybe!" Spinoza laughed. "But that doesn't matter, I can tell we're gonna be different! We're gonna be best friends, Nereus!"

"I never said..." Nereus trailed off, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair, giving a small smile. Well... he didn't have anything better to do for the moment, did he? "You really are not very bright, aren't you?"

Spinoza giggled. "Haha, what does that mean?"

"...Never mind."

And quite suddenly, Nereus had something unheard of... a friend. He really had no idea why it happened, or why he put up with it. Spinoza was annoying. He was ridiculously bright and peppy, and to say he was not the sharpest tool in the shed was the understatement of the century. There were times when Nereus would get fed up and call him names out of pure frustration, and Spinoza would simply laugh. The boy had no sense of the concept of personal space, he gestured wildly when he talked, and wherever he went, some sort of horrible disaster was sure to be caused by his clumsiness. How Nereus had managed to live in the Galochio camp for eleven years and not noticed the walking train wreck that was Spinoza was a miracle. To put it simply, Spinoza was as different from quiet, brooding, graceful Nereus as day was to night.

Yet somehow... this annoying, stupid idiot made Nereus something he had thought was impossible... he made Nereus happy. Spinoza would visit Nereus whenever his lessons were over, he would help to tend awkwardly to the other boys wounds (even if he did give hugs afterwards that tended to cause more harm than good to Nereus' back), he would cause Nereus to smile and even occasionally laugh, make the other boy's face hurt from using muscles that were rarely used... he did everything he could. And Nereus in turn found himself opening up to this other boy, who was so very different from any other Galochio he had met. He slowly began to open up to Spinoza about his thoughts, his memories, his dreams... he even spoke to Spinoza about Razputin. And though Spinoza was occasionally a bit too dense to understand... he listened. He listened intently, struggled to focus, to understand... and for that Nereus was grateful.

To have someone who looked at him with more than just disdain, who treated him like more than just Indra's vessel, who didn't beat him for daring to enjoy his contact with Razputin... it was so much more than Nereus could ever hope for. He couldn't possibly have asked for anything else.

And so when a year passed and Nereus suddenly found a poorly wrapped package thrust into his hands from behind one of the tents, he was very confused.

"What is this?" The blond stared down at the shapeless mass, which had been wrapped in scraps of ugly wrapping paper of all sorts of different designs. A string had ever been tied around it in some sort of hideous monstrosity that might have been a bow.

"It's a present!" Spinoza beamed. "I even wrapped it with real wrapping paper, see! I got them from the garbage!" He declared brightly.

Nereus made a face. "I suppose that would explain why some of the paper feels a tad slimy, then."

"Come on, open it up!" Spinoza flopped down on the dirty ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air, and clapped his hands together excitedly.

The blond sat down beside him, frowning. "Alright..." He tugged on the string for a few seconds, then simply gave up and flicked some water from the bottle he'd been drinking from, forming the liquid into a small blade and slicing through it. He then did the same thing with the paper, peeling it back as his sapphire eyes widened.

"...Goggles?" Nereus blinked as he pulled the object from the wrapping, the blue lenses reflecting in the afternoon sunlight.

Spinoza nodded enthusiastically as he clapped again. "Yeah! I knew you'd like them!"

The other twelve-year old looked confused. "Why..."

"Well, you keep telling me about that Raz guy, right?" Spinoza grinned.

"Yes..." Nereus said slowly, glancing around and hoping no one else would overhear this.

"Well, you were telling me how cool he is, right? How nice he is and how brave and awesome and how much you like him!" Spinoza rambled. "Anyway... I remembered you saying he had a pair of red goggles... and I thought it sounded sooo cool, because who else wears goggles on their head? And then when we were in that one town a few weeks ago I saw these in a shop and I was all 'Oh hey, I should get those for Nereus', soooo I did!" The blond beamed.

His friend blinked at him, then looked back at the goggles. "I see... but why?"

"Because you're always telling me how cool he is... and how different he is from everyone here. How he actually tries to help non-psychics, how he does so many great things..." Spinoza scratched his head and shuffled his feet as he glanced at the ground, clearly feeling a tad nervous about getting into such serious subjects. "I'm not very smart and I don't know very much... but I know what you have to do later on, Nereus... or at least what everyone expects. And I know training for the Heir is really hard... so I figured maybe with these... no matter what happens, they'll help you remember Raz... and the kind of person you want to be."

Nereus stared at him, eyes wide. "Spinoza..." He gasped. "You..." He glanced down at the goggles, tracing a finger along the edges of the lenses. "I... that was very..." He shook his head and smiled, pulling the strap over his head and letting the goggles fall around his neck. "Thank you, Spinoza."

His friend smiled back. "You're welcome!"

The blond stood there for a moment, then frowned. "But... I don't have anything to give you--"

"Oh, don't worry! I got some for me too!" Spinoza grinned and pulled a pair of square goggles from behind his back, these ones with purple lenses. He pulled them over his head, struggling a bit with the elastic strap and nearly getting tangled in it before finally letting them settle on his head. "See? Now you have goggles like Raz's to connect you to him... and I have goggles to connect me to my best friend!" He chirped.

Nereus stared at the things. "...Those are the stupidest things I've ever seen," He declared bluntly, watching the way tufts of blond hair got stuck halfway underneath the lenses and still struggled to pop up, while others stuck even more haphazardly around them.

"Hahaha, you think so?" Spinoza laughed and scratched his head. "Maybe... but it's the meaning that matters, right?" He gestured to the lenses. "With these, I'm with you always."

His friend blinked, then glanced down at the goggles. "Yes... you... and Razputin." With those words he reached down and pulled the goggles up onto his head, smiling as he glanced over at Spinoza's and watched them glisten in the sunlight, knowing full well his were doing the same thing.

"Always."

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Annnd that's it. Check in for an update in two weeks guys, I'm gonna do my best to keep up with this!_

_Please, please leave a review and tell me what you thought, I really want to see if people are still reading this!_


	21. The Galochio's Burden

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fanfic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Galochio's Burden  
-- **

_Annnd I'm a day late. Well, at least it's better than a year, right? Ahahahaha... I'm lame._

_Yeah, sorry guys, I wanted to update this yesterday but I had to edit it since I don't have a beta reader and one of my friends IMed me in the first time since like forever and... well, yeah. Long story short the updating didn't happen. Buuut it's happening now so it's all good right? Right? Ahaha... yeah. Well, I hope you guys like it anyway, this was actually what most of my work was during September. There's one point where I might have gone overboard with Raz... if it seems like it is tell me and I'll tone it down a bit, alright guys? I personally think it's fine given the situation, buuut you never know how other people will perceive such things so yeah._

_Umm, right, not much else to say. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up in a decent amount of time as well, right? Hey, two updates is pretty good considering how long the last chapter took me._

_Anyway, on with the fic!_

_Suggested listening music is once again _Above the Rising Falls_, _Rap is a Man's Spirit, Letter From The Lost Days _annnd if you feel like having fun come up with some sort of slow classical thing for a certain scene with Raz and Milla because I didn't want to add what I originally planned on adding to the OST for that scene._

--

_'Tick. Tick. Tick.'_

The memory reel continued to roll on the player even as it ended, giving a series of clicks as it continued to run. After a few moments Raz finally reached out to stop it, gazing down at the rusted metal with sad eyes.

"...Huh." He said quietly after a moment, shifting in the dry, dead grass.

"Strange, isn't it?" Sasha murmured from behind him, his hands shoved into his pockets. "To see what a difference simple things like human interaction can make."

"Yeah..." Raz gazed down at the ground, kicking lightly at the grass. "He was so... _normal_ around that kid," He gave a small smile at the memory of the image of the boy, laughing loudly and whole-heartedly as Nereus sat beside him, chuckling. "Spinoza... what a weirdo. It seems weird to think of those two as being friends."

"Indeed," The German said.

"It's like..." The teen trailed off, then shook his head. "He was... he could have been... I could have been like him... how..."

"How could he have been like you and not? How could he have changed so drastically to go from what we have just seen to the Nereus we know?" Sasha suggested, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. "I do not know. I believe the point of that reel was to show us that Nereus was once not so different from you... and that those two and your influence were all very important to that."

"Yeah..." Raz's eyes narrowed. "My influence... how could he say I influenced him and meant so much? How could he spout off all of that about not hating non-psychics and always being connected, only to turn around and do all the crap he's done now!? How could he betray his friend and his sister like that?" He snapped, anger creeping into his voice. "I just... I don't understand! Why..."

"Because things for him were different," Sasha said calmly. "Because the mind can only take so much. Because this is but one moment in a life that still has years to go before it becomes that of the one you know." He peered at Raz, his sunglasses hiding his expression. "Are you really so petty as to not take any of that into consideration when it comes to this other child? You who have saved so many others who seemed just as far beyond help?"

The teen bit his lip. "It's not petty... I just..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I... I can sort of understand... I know... I know it's not his fault, not entirely, it's just... after everything he's done, how can everyone expect me just to forgive him? Hell, I don't even know if that's the point of all of this. What does everyone expect from me!? To forgive him!? To save him!? I get it, we're alike, we're connected, Nereus used to be a good guy, whatever! It doesn't excuse what he's done! It doesn't change anything!" The teen ranted, squeezing his eyes shut as images of the past few weeks flashed before his eyes. "The dreams, torturing me, almost killing me, almost killing _everyone,_ killing his sister, causing so much pain... he hurt you guys, he hurt Lili! His family killed all of mine, cursed us to die! How am I supposed to just let that go!? Why does everyone expect me to do that!? "

After that great rant Raz fell silent, panting. Sasha watched him calmly for a moment, then sighed and opened his mouth to speak. "Ach... Razputin, no one expects anything from you," He said as he adjusted his sunglasses.

Raz blinked in confusion. "You're not?"

"No." Sasha shook his head. "The conclusions you draw from this are your own. I cannot tell you which path to take, nor can anyone else. We can offer suggestions, but nothing more. Your grudge is perfectly understandable. However... I do not believe it is as long-lasting as you seem to think... why are you arguing for it when there is no one arguing against it?"

The teen frowned. "But... you are... you--"

"I have said nothing of the sort. Perhaps the others made suggestions... but even so, nothing more. And even so, you must remember... this is all in your mind." As the Psychonaut spoke he fished into his pocket with telekinesis, finally pulling out a cigarette.

Raz's brow furrowed. "All in my mind?" He repeated.

Sasha nodded as he lit his cigarette with pyrokinesis. "Indeed... and if that is the case, one must wonder... who can you truly be arguing against besides yourself?" He said as he took a long drag.

The younger Psychonaut stared blankly up at him, then looked at the ground as he kicked lightly at the grass. He supposed Sasha was right... who was he arguing with? His friends? Himself? There was nothing to argue about with himself... he hated Nereus. He couldn't stand the guy. He hated their connection, he hated how similar they were, he hated it all...

And yet still there was that image of Nereus being so happy simply because he had been happy, of two blond boys grinning as they pulled on their goggles...

He hated Nereus... or at least, he _wanted_ to. After everything that Nereus had done, he wanted so badly just to hate him, to blame him, it made things so much easier, so much less complicated. He wanted to hate him... but he couldn't. He couldn't hate Nereus... not after seeing what he had been through and what he had been, not after seeing what their connection had truly meant... but if that was the case, what was Nereus to him? What did this mind want out of him, what did it want him to see?

He didn't get it.

The boy was interrupted from his musing as a puff of smoke suddenly hit his nostrils, causing him to gag. "Ugh. Sasha, do you have you do that here?" Raz grimaced, covering his mouth as his eyes watered.

Sasha shrugged as he glanced at his cigarette. "You were busy. I don't see the problem."

"It's disgusting," Raz grumbled, wrinkling his nose. "Seriously, it's bad for you and it's just gross."

The German Psychonaut sighed and obligingly put out the cigarette. "Ach, you're as bad as Milla," He muttered as he put the remaining half of the cigarette back into the pack.

"She has the right idea!" His younger friend exclaimed. "You're gonna get lung cancer or something!"

Sasha sighed again as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yes, yes, understood. I'll work on quitting. Really," He said in a completely flat, insincere tone.

Raz shook his head. "I thought you were supposed to be a teacher..." He muttered as he made his way for the door on the other side of the rusted playground.

The older agent shrugged. "I can quit anytime I want."

"Uh huh." Raz placed his hand on the door handle, pausing to glance back at the desolate playground for a moment. The swings swayed softly, the merry-go-round slowly spun... the teen shook his head and opened the door. "Goodbye," He murmured, turning away and stepping through the doorway as he left the quiet, forgotten place behind.

He could have sworn he heard a child's voice softly whispering goodbye as the door closed behind them.

**-Razputin... Razputin... you...-**

The two agents once again found themselves standing in the hallway. Raz quickly turned and slashed the door they had just exited, then stepped back as the doors once again began to whirl around them in a blur of dark colors. "So..." He said conversationally as the doors whirled around him. "In that reel, which Friend do you suppose Nereus was?"

"Either Ross or Monica." Sasha said with a shrug.

Raz snorted. "So who does that make Spinoza?"

The German Psychonaut frowned thoughtfully. "Joey?" He suggested after a moment.

Raz shrugged. "I was thinking Phoebe, actually."

"Ah."

The doors finally slowed to a stop and Raz glanced around, eyes widening as he heard a click. "Finally!" He exclaimed, pointing to the end of the hallway, where a final, unmarked door stood. "We're at the end of this stupid thing!" He immediately rushed through the hallway to the door, his trenchcoat flaring behind him as he rushed past entryway after entryway.

"It's about time," Sasha murmured as he followed much slower after Raz, hands in his pockets. "Wait..." He said as he stopped behind Raz, causing the boy to pause with his gloved hand hovering above the door handle. "Before you open it... are you prepared?"

Raz frowned, brow furrowing as he glanced back at Sasha. "Prepared for what?"

The German Psychonaut gazed back at him stonily. "To face whatever lies beyond that door, be it monster or man, your greatest enemy or your greatest fear. To sacrifice things you may not wish to sacrifice... to learn things that may surprise you. To do things you once thought were impossible... are you prepared to do all that?"

Jade green met stormy gray for a moment. He felt that feeling in his chest, tugging him towards the door, urging him onward. He didn't know why, but he had to follow that tugging... it was the only thing that felt right.

Raz finally nodded, a confident smirk coming to his face. "Yeah. I can handle anything now."

Sasha watched him for a moment, then smiled as well. "Good. Then open the door."

Raz nodded, then turned and did just that.

The two of them stepped into a very small room, roughly only a twelve by twelve foot square. At least, that's how big the floor was. The walls themselves extended high above their heads, so high that one could not make out the ceiling. Every square inch of the room was made out of shining bricks of smooth obsidian, save for various square-shaped holes cut into the walls.

"Huh... this is... surprisingly plain." Raz blinked as he glanced around, putting his hands on his hips.

"Indeed," Sasha frowned as he glanced around as well. "Very few features... I wonder where one is supposed to go from here... especially seeing how entrance seems to have vanished." He said, casting a wary eye at the smooth wall where the door they had entered from had been.

The teen bit his lip as he glanced at the spot as well, giving a nervous laugh. "Kinda feels a bit like a trap... there has to be a door somewhere..." He glanced around, eyes finally settling high above their heads. "Aha, I see it!" He exclaimed, pointing upward. "A door!" Indeed, there was a doorway hundreds of feet above their heads, from where light was shining out and casting an eerie white glow in the otherwise dark room. Raz frowned as he cocked his head to the side. "It's way up there though... I can't levitate that high... how about you, Sasha?"

Sasha shook his head. "No, I cannot levitate that far... and there does not seem to be any sort of ladder or anything like that."

"Yeah..." Raz frowned and scratched his head. "I don't get it..." He muttered as he began to pace around the room, trenchcoat swirling around his ankles. "How the hell are you supposed to--"

_Click!_

The teen blinked, then glanced down at his foot, which had just pushed a single seemingly normal black block into the floor. "Um... what did I just do?" He asked as the room gave a heavy rumble.

Sasha shook his head as he glanced up at the ceiling, taking a step back as the rumbling intensified. "I am not sure... but I believe we are about to find out." He said, gloved hands twitching.

There was a loud rushing noise from the walls... and then quite suddenly with a great roar, swirling black water began to pour from the holes in the walls, like hundreds of high-pressured waterspouts. It began to crash around them onto the smooth floor like so many thundering waterfalls, droplets splattering this way and that.

"AHHHHH! WATER!?" Raz screamed, jade green eyes wide with horror as he scuttled away from the pouring water to the center of the room.

Sasha sputtered and coughed as he quickly moved away from where he had been standing directly under one of the streams, his black hair already soaked and dripping in his face. "Well, it does seem to be his speciality," He said as he glanced down. "And if I am not mistaken... there is no drain." He added, observing the way the water was already swirling around his ankles and seeping into his dress shoes. He was trying his best not to appear too annoyed about his already soaked jacket.

His young friend let out a yelp as he noticed this as well, leaping into the air in a futile attempt to get away from the liquid and splashing water everywhere. "AH! You have to be kidding me! This can't be happening!" He exclaimed as he began to glance around wildly. "There has to be a way out somewhere or some sort of way to climb up to that door or... or something!" The teen began to desperately paw at the walls, focusing his psychic energy, desperate to find something, anything!

"I highly doubt it. That would be far too simple." Sasha shook his head as he glanced around as well.

Raz shook his head wildly as he continued to feel at the walls, boots splashing through the water that had already reached his shins "No, no, no, this can't be happening, there has to be a way out..." He gasped, sweat beading on his forehead even as the swirling liquid made him shiver due to the cold.

"I'm afraid there is but one way, and it is well beyond our reach," The older agent stated grimly from the center of the room, gazing up at the lit entryway from behind sunglasses splattered with droplets.

"No, that's impossible, there's gotta be a way!" Raz finally stopped and banged his gloved fists against the wet walls, gazing up at the entryway as well. "We made it this far, there just has to be a way! No, no, NO!" He grit his teeth and hefted up his sword, tugging the dripping blade from the water. "Okay, no opening, huh?" He growled, placing both hands on the sword. "Fine, I'll make one!" With that he took a step back, ignoring the way his foot slowed in the now knee deep water, and with a cry he slashed the sword diagonally across the stone wall.

A bright, glowing orange line was left etched in the stone... then with a hissing noise it faded away as if it were nothing.

"What!?" Raz sputtered, eyes wide as the sword dropped to his side. "That's... no, no, this can't be! Open up!" He cried as he slashed at the wall again, this time in the opposite direction. The line stayed there for a few moments, then faded once again, the wall appearing untouched. Raz gaped at it, his arms shaking. The water was rising, and as it grew higher and higher, he was beginning to panic. "No... no, no, NO!" He cried as he began to slash desperately at the wall, striking again and again and leaving nothing substantial no matter how hard he tried.

"Why are you doing this!?" He screamed. "Haven't you been calling me all this time!? Why are would you stick me here, then!? Was this all just a trap to kill me with the stupid curse!? WHY!? I don't get it! Why spend all this time trying to get me to understand, only to kill me!? LET ME OUT!" With this final yell Raz let the sword drop to the side. He stood there panting, wet bangs dripping into his eyes as the smoking gash faded away once again. "Why...?" The teen pressed his forehead against the slick wall, swallowing thickly. He was running out of time.

He was running out of time and he couldn't swim.

Sasha, whom had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke. "Razputin... could you come over here?" He asked.

The teen blinked, then turned. "Huh? What's up, Sasha?" He asked as he waded over, the water having reached his thighs.

His former teacher was gazing down at the floor through the swirling, rising water, appearing thoughtful. "Could you raise your sword for me?"

"Um... alright, sure." Raz said, tugging the sword out of the water once again with some effort and raising it into the air. Flames flickered around the blade... and underneath the water, a small, dragon shaped etching in the black stone began to glow as well. "Whoa!" The teen gasped as he let his arm drop. "What was that?"

Sasha frowned thoughtfully. "Razputin..." He said finally. "Try placing your sword there, would you?"

The teen gave a wet grin. "I guess there's not much else we can try, huh?" He asked grimly as he hefted up the sword again, then grunted as he stabbed the blade into the slot. The instant the point pierced the etching the entire room gave a rumble, and Raz gave a yelp as the sword sunk halfway into the ground. "What the!?" He sputtered as the water around the sword began to bubble, the ground below him shaking slightly. "What's going on!?"

"I do not know, but I do believe we have found the way out." Sasha said, unable to keep from grinning as he adjusted his dripping sunglasses. "I believe your sword is heating the water and is directing it below that part of the floor... if this continues, it should propel us up to the door."

Raz's eyes widened. "Really!? Great!" He cried. "Now we just..." He paused, brow furrowing. "Is it just me or is that rumbling getting louder?"

Sasha's brow furrowed as well as he glanced around. "I do... believe it is. But what--" He was cut off as the rumbling finally culminated to a loud crashing noise as the holes shattered, sending bits of brick tumbling down to crash into the water. This was the least of their worries, however, as with it came gushing water far stronger than that which had been coming before!

"AHH!" Raz screamed, his fingers loosening on the sword on reflex as the water swirled around him, his eyes squeezing shut as he reached up to shield himself from the water that was already waist high. The instant he released the weapon, the bubbles ceased.

"DON'T LET GO OF THE SWORD!" Sasha cried out, struggling to keep from being swept away in the sudden current. "If you do, the reaction will stop and we'll be stuck here until we drown!"

The teen grit his teeth as he forced his numb fingers back around the sword, watching the bubbles appear again. "Okay, okay, have to stay calm, have to stay calm..." He murmured to himself as his teeth chattered, squeezing his eyes shut. Droplets slide down his face, clung to his hair and clammy skin. "The water's not there, the water's not there, it's fine, it's fine, I'll be fine..." Some water splashed into his face and Raz coughed and sputtered, eyes opening on reflex... and the instant he did, he lost it.

The water was up to his chest. The water was up to his chest! He wasn't supposed to go in water up to his chest! If he was in water that deep, the hand would get him. The curse would get him! The curse would get him, he had been warned, he had seen the hands himself, they were there! He could hear the whisperings of an ancient curse in his ears, could see the fingers grasping at him from under the swirling, dark surface! He could feel them grasping at his ankles, preparing to tug him under! He was going to die! He was going to die!

"No! No No No No!" Raz screamed as he tried desperately to pull away from the sword, splashing wildly. "NO, NO, LET ME OUT!"

A pair of gloved hands reached out and caught his, forcing them to remain on the sword. "Razputin, calm yourself!" Sasha cried.

"No! NO!" Raz shook his head wildly as he struggled to get away, beginning to hyperventilate. Water splattered this way and that and he coughed and sputtered as he fought against Sasha's grip. "I can't stay Sasha, it's going too slow, it'll be too deep! The curse will get me! I have to get out of here! LET GO!"

"THERE _IS_ NO CURSE, RAZPUTIN!" The German Psychonaut barked, holding his former pupil in place.

"Yes there is! YES THERE IS!" The teen screamed, his face a mask of terror as he thrashed in the water. "You can't see it, Sasha! The Hand of Galochio is there, it'll kill me, Sasha! I'm going to drown! LET GO OF ME!"

"I told you Razputin, there is no such thing! It is _all in your head_! There are no such things as curses!" Sasha shouted. "Now calm yourself, you are the only one who can get yourself out of this mess!"

Raz shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "I can't! I CAN'T! I--"

_SMACK!_

The teen blinked in shock as he stood there, eyes wide, one side of his face burning from the slap Sasha had just given him. His soaked bangs hung in his eyes, droplets falling from them and dripping down his face. Sasha looked back calmly, his splattered sunglasses betraying no emotion. The water swirled around their shoulders now, like some sort of great, terrible monster.

"Control, Razputin," Sasha said calmly. "You are a _Psychonaut_. You have saved the world dozens of times! You have saved _my_ life! You have already conquered the beast within you! This 'curse' of yours is nothing! Fight it! Take _control_! You can do this! The only one stopping you at this point is not Nereus, it is not any sort of Galochio, it is yourself!"

Raz gaped at him, his eyes wide. "I... but I..." He shook his head, biting his lip, then nodded. "I... I can do this. The curse... it's all in my head... it's all in my head."

The German Psychonaut nodded. "Exactly."

The teen nodded shakily back. "Right..." He reached up with one hand, fingers slipping at first, then on the second try caught his goggles and pulled them over his eyes. "Control... I can do this." The teen declared as he adjusted them, jade green eyes narrowing in determination from behind red lenses as he tried to let his shoulders relax. The water swirled around his throat now as he plunged his gloved hand back into the water to close around the sword again, he tried to ignore it and the hammering in his chest.

Sasha smiled. "Very good. Now relax, take a deep breath..." Raz did as he was told, taking a deep breath and holding it just as the water went over his nose. The floor below him was starting to glow now. "And Razputin?" The teen blinked as he looked up to see Sasha smiling.

"Please... be sure to return safely."

Sasha released him as the water closed over his head.

"Wha!?" Raz sputtered, bubbles coming out of his mouth as his eyes widened. His words were lost in a great rumbling, bubbles swirling around him and clouding his vision. He glanced around wildly, desperate to figure out where the German Psychonaut had gone. He wanted so desperately to call out, but he couldn't, there was water everywhere and he was already having to fight to hold his breath and his heart was hammering and where was Sasha!? He couldn't go without him! Where was Sasha!? The teen reached up to clamp his fingers over his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't breath, he couldn't breath, but he couldn't keep holding his breath, his lungs were burning, where was Sasha!?

And then the world shot up from beneath him.

"SAAAASHAAAAAAAA!" The teen let out a cry as he was suddenly propelled through the water. Liquid surrounded him at all sides, gushing, swirling dark water that sent him tumbling even as he flew upwards. It filled his ears, surrounded him, tossed him left and right as if he were a plaything. His scarf and trenchcoat tangled around him like sopping leaves, his lungs burned as he realized he was out of air, he was--

And then suddenly, with an "Umph!" Raz was flung through a doorway and across a silvery marble surface, causing a great squeak as his sopping form skidded across it. He finally came to a stop and just lay there for a moment, face down in a puddle on the floor.

"Razputin!" A singsong voice rang through the room.

The teen cracked open one eye. "Milla?" He groaned.

"Oh goodness, darling, you're all wet!" He suddenly found himself telekinetically pulled to his feet, a pair of gentle gloved hands immediately fussing over him. "My my, what on earth were you and Sasha up to!?" Milla's beautiful face swam into view, tinted red from his goggles. "And I don't have any towels or anything, ayiyiyiyi...'

"Milla, Milla, I'm fine!" Raz yelped as he held up his numb fingers to try to ward her away.

The Brazillian pouted as she stepped back, putting her hands on her hips, her multicolored dress swirling around her legs. "Come now, young man, don't give me that look! I'm only looking out for you!" She tsked, her mouth pressing into a thin line.

Raz gave a sigh as he pulled his goggles off of his head and dumped the water out of the lenses. "I know, Milla, but come on, I'm sixteen!" He exclaimed as the qater splattered across the marble floor.

Milla's brow furrowed in concern. "But you're soaking wet, darling! You'll catch a cold!"

"I know, I know, hang on..." Raz muttered as he squeezed the liquid from his trench coat. He then stood there for a moment and closed his eyes, concentrating. His body gave off a soft orange glow and steam began to rise off of his soaking wet clothes. Within seconds he was mostly dry, though his hair was still slightly damp. "There, see!?" The teen grinned and flashed a thumbs up. "I'm my own personal heater! Pyrokinesis, whoo hoo!"

The older Psychonaut shook her head, though a smile came to her face. "Show off," She murmured.

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm awesome," The teen said with a shrug as he pulled his goggles back on again. "At any rate... let me guess, you're here to lead me through the next part of Nereus' mind?" He asked, quirking a brow as he glanced around. The two currently were standing at the beginning of a set of long, worn, circular marble steps that lead to an ornate set of black doors, though they were much smaller than the first gate to the castle. Though they were still rather far away, Raz could sense all sorts of psychic energy pulsating from behind the doors, as well as the whisperings of that voice he knew so well.

**-Razputin, Razputin...-**

Milla nodded and gave a smile. "I am. But it's you who's leading me now darling, don't you know?"

Raz gave a small chuckle at this. "I guess I should have guessed," He said, shaking his head as he gazed at the door again with tired eyes. He could feel it again, that tugging his chest, growing more and more urgent and so impossibly heavy, calling him onward. "It's my journey, right? You're just here to help." The teen gave a small smile as he turned towards the door. "Alright... that's fine. Let's go, then."

"I'm right behind you, darling!"

With that, the two began their trek up the steps.

"You know," Raz said conversationally as they climbed. "It's funny... when this whole mess started, I would have found you showing up to be really weird... I mean, I _still _don't understand why you, Ford, Sasha and the Coach all showed up. I guess it has something to do with psychic connections of whatever, or maybe it's all in my head... but when it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter. I'm just glad you guys have been here to help."

Milla smiled. "Well, I'm glad too, darling! We all just want to help in any way we can, after all! That's what this has all been about!" She said. "I mean... I know you're much older now sweetie, but there's nothing wrong with taking some help, right?"

"Yeah, I get that now..." The teen frowned as he glanced down at his boots. "I just wish I knew what you could help with... I still don't know what I'm doing here. I mean... so far, yeah, I've learned a lot about Nereus... but what about me? I feel like I'm supposed to be here... but do what?"

The Brazilian woman frowned thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a gloved hand. "Well... perhaps you're not the only one who needs the help?" She suggested.

Raz's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Milla giggled at his confused expression. "Oh darling... being a teenager is such a silly time. You all struggle so hard for independence... but when it comes down to it, everyone needs help sometimes. _You _realized that after awhile... have you considered that you weren't the only one in this mess who needed help?"

"Wha?" Raz blinked and paused in his steps, glancing up at Milla. "What do you mean...help?"

The Brazilian Psychonaut beamed. "I really can't say, sweetie! I can only do so much, after all."

The teen gave a huff of frustration. "Why is it you guys all keep talking in riddles? This is so confusing!" He exclaimed as he folded his arms before him. "Why can't you just give me some straight answers!?"

Milla laughed again, the happy sound ringing through the otherwise eerily quiet mind. "Oh Razputin..." She smiled warmly as she glanced him over. "You've grown so much... I can still remember when your head only reached my waist, and look at you now. So handsome!" She reached over and pinched at his cheek, eliciting a yelp from the teen.

"H-hey! Come on, Milla, cut it out!" Raz exclaimed, blushing heavily.

The Brazilian Psychonaut giggled. "You'll make a grand husband for Lili someday, I'm sure," She said as she released him and began to walk ahead.

Raz frowned as he rubbed his face. "What does this have to do with me being here?"

"Oh, nothing really... I wish I could give you a straight answer, but I can't." Milla shook her head sadly, her earrings clinking with the motion as her heels clicked against the stairs. "I wish there were more I could do for you. It's just, you've grown so much... but even so, it's hard for me to see you going through such difficult trials and not picture that ten-year old boy who snuck into camp."

The teen blinked, then smiled. "I know... but even when I was that old, I was always throwing myself into trouble anyway, remember?"

Milla giggled. "I suppose you're right, darling.You've always been following the beat of your own little party... who am I to let my silly motherly worries get in the way of that?" She murmured, her shoulders tensing as she hugged her arms closer to herself, glancing back at the boy and biting her lip.

Raz blushed slightly at this, glancing to the floor. He knew Milla had a tendency to see any child under her wing as hers, in a way she was essentially the camp's mom. And when it came down to it, he really appreciated it... he had never had a mother, after all. But to see her pretty face etched with worry always made him feel a twinge of guilt. "Milla... I'm sorry, I don't really have much of a choice," He said, scratching the back of his head.

Milla sighed and paused, gazing at him for a moment. "Oh, I know." She then smiled again, reaching out and ruffling his hair. "Always the little hero, right? But... promise me you'll be careful, alright sweetie?"

The teen blushed even more. "A-alright, I promise," He said. In spite of his rushing to say the words so Milla would let go (he was a Psychonaut, for heavens sake!), he meant it. He'd be careful as long as it meant he wouldn't be causing her anymore worry than he had to.

"Good," Milla smiled as she released him and glanced ahead at the doors, which they were now very close to. "Now, is it just me, or do I hear music in there?"

Raz blinked, then glanced ahead. After a few seconds of listening, he could heard it... the soft strains of a classical orchestra, the soft babble of people talking inside. "Yeah, I can hear it too, along with voices..." The boy blinked in confusion. "Why voices? Nereus' mind has been empty up to this point..."

The Brazilian Psychonaut frowned thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers. "Sounds like a party!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"A party?" Raz repeated, gaping at Milla. "You can't be serious!"

Milla grinned as she put her hands on her hips. "No doubt about it darling, there's a party going on in there! And it sounds like a bit of a dead one at that..." She tapped her heel against the marble staircase for a moment, then smiled and grabbed Raz's wrist. "Well, come on now darling, what are we waiting for!? We don't want to be _too_ late to the party!" She winked at him as she turned, her long, silky hair swirling behind her as she began to make her way up the rest of the stairs.

"H-hey, wait!" Raz sputtered as he followed her, trench coat trailing behind him. "This can't be right, it's Nereus' mind! If there's a party, it's one for the _deranged_!"

The older Psychonaut laughed as she came to a stop before the doors. "Now now sweetie, just because other people have different styles doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a try. Now, let's go!" With that, she took a hold of the door handle and wrenched the shimmering dark doors open.

They found themselves standing in a great, crumbling ballroom. The floor had been elaborately decorated with some sort of design at one point, but time had chipped and dug away at it so there was little left beyond the occasional gleam and flash of silver, sapphire, and emerald. The windows were all large and carved in elaborate arcs, though the glass was dark and dirty. Against the walls were tables covered with tattered gray cloth, spiderwebs hanging off of them and giving them a ghostly air. Dim, dusty glass chandeliers hung high over their heads, casting an eerie silver light over the room.

The creepiest part however, were the shadows. They congregated across the floor, blue-ish gray beings of differing sizes and shapes with features just beyond view. Sometimes one could squint and swear they saw the form of a woman, while other times they swore they had caught the visage of a man, or occasionally saw a child rush by as if seen through the rustling of curtains over a veil. They spoke in eerie whispers that made the hair on the back of Raz's neck stand on end, A group of them were gathered upon a stage and were playing an ethereal, sorrowful tune, while the rest floated eerily in groups across the floor.

"Whoa... creepy," Raz commented.

Milla gave a small laugh. "Something tells me this party is a little dead, hm, sweetie?"

"No kidding," The teen muttered as he glanced around. "And from the looks of things we have to go through them to go on." He added grimly as he pointed ahead at another, smaller and thinner black door at the other end of the ballroom.

"It does look that way, doesn't it darling?" Milla's pretty face twisted into a frown as she gazed across the dusty ballroom. "And it looks to me like there's no way around the dance floor."

Raz nodded. "I wonder if I can just walk through..." He said to himself, taking a few steps forward. He glanced back at Milla, whom shrugged, then took a deep breath and placed a booted foot on the dance floor.

The instant he did the shadows seemed to come to life, perking up from their eerie, quiet waltz and turning towards him, the whisperings growing in volume and intensity as wind swirled around the room. It was as if they were a swarm of bees, quiet when undisturbed, but the moment Raz entered their sanctuary they turned hostile, beginning to speed up and float around in each other, glowing blue eyes appearing in their depths.

The teen swallowed and immediately stepped away, hefting up his sword to defend himself. The instant he did the crowd of shadows settled and went back to their dance, moving smoothly to the music. "Well," Raz said slowly as he lowered the sword and let it vanish for the moment in a burst of flames. "That didn't work."

"Looks like they don't want anyone interrupting," Milla said, tapping her chin. "Hmm... perhaps we're not supposed to interrupt?"

"And how are we supposed to do that?" The teen asked, quirking a brow for a moment.

Milla frowned, then her face brightened. "Of course! No one likes a party pooper! If we can't beat them, we'll have to join them!" She exclaimed.

Raz stared at her. "Join them?" He repeated. "Um... wha?"

"Isn't it obvious, silly?" Milla giggled. "You're not supposed to walk across, you're supposed to dance!"

The teen stared at her. "...You... have to be kidding me," He said. "After all the crazy crap I've had to go through in this mind, now I have to _dance_!?"

"I'm afraid so, darling." Milla grinned and snapped her fingers, swaying to the slow beat of the song. She really didn't look too sympathetic, then again Raz supposed this was her thing. "Just get out there and show them that you know how to work it!"

Raz gave a groan. "I'm really not into dancing..." He muttered, shuffling his feet. Well, okay, that wasn't true. He had a tendency to dance like a complete moron to songs on the radio when he thought no one was watching, and of course there had been that one school dance he had gone to with Lili. When it came to dancing he mostly just jumped around and had fun, since he really didn't have any sense of rhythm. Normally he wasn't too self conscious about it (seriously, who really knew how to dance at school dances anyway? And it wasn't like anyone else was around when he danced to the radio), but this was an entirely different situation! This was life and death!

Milla rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're just like Sasha. Just go out there and try it, darling! Have some fun!" With that, she gently shoved Raz into the crowd.

The teen let out a yelp as he stumbled across the dance floor. The instant he touched it the shadows began to swarm again and the boy swallowed. "Okay, okay, dancing, umm..." He held up a hand and formed it into something like a duck's bill, then began to bop along in a circle, waving his hand back and forth as he did. "Neh, neh-neh, neh-neh NEH-neh!"

Apparently the shadows really were not fans of the 'Ziltch', seeing how they began to grow even more restless.

He heard a laugh. "My darling, you certainly have style!" Milla gracefully slipped in and took his hands in hers. "However, I do believe _this_ may be more appropriate." With that she began to sway to the music, leading Raz in a ballroom waltz.

The instant she did this the shadows quieted and began to dance again, though Raz barely noticed as he was too busy trying not to trip over his own feet. "Gah! S-slow down, I can't-- Milla, I don't know how to do this!" He yelped.

Milla blinked in confusion. "You mean you don't know how to waltz?" She asked as she spun Raz around.

Raz flushed. "I was kind of busy being a Psychonaut and an acrobat, I didn't have time to learn to dance!" He sputtered as he stumbled awkwardly, trying desperately to avoid stepping on Milla's heels.

"Oh, well that's a shame, it's oh so much fun!" The Brazilian Psychonaut beamed as she spun again, taking them past a couple of shadows.

"Easy for you to say," Raz muttered as he stumbled again. "_You_ know what you're doing!"

Milla rolled her eyes. "Oh come now darling, it's easy!" She cooed, taking a hold of Raz. "Now, count with me. One, two, three. One, two, three..."

Raz's blush deepened. He felt so awkward! Fighting psychic villains was so much easier than this! "I-I... gah! Okay, okay, one two--"

"Too fast, darling!" Milla grinned as she spun again. "Slower now! One, two, three..."

The teen gave a sigh as he began to repeat after her. "This is such a drag... I would have rather fought more monsters or overcome another phobia," He muttered.as he tried his best to focus on keeping his feet right, his trenchcoat swirling around him as he moved.

His dance partner laughed. "Oh come now, darling, it's not so bad! Besides, now you'll know how to dance when you and Lili go to special occasions together!"

Raz snorted. "Somehow I can't imagine Lili is a big fan of the waltz," He said as he mentally envisioned his dour girlfriend dancing willingly.

Milla laughed again. "Maybe... and maybe she really wouldn't mind dancing with you once and awhile, you won't know until you try, will you?" She asked, smiling as she let Raz spin this time.

"Whoa, whoa!" The teen yelped as he spun. "I-I dunno, I get the feeling she'd try to set me on fire!" He said as he continued the dance.

The Brazilian Psychonaut shook her head, still smiling. "Well, you won't know until you try, will you darling? That's what life is about, after all... it's about trying!"

Raz frowned thoughtfully as he continued to dance. Yeah, it was about trying. Trying... maybe that's what this whole mess was about. But what was he supposed to try? To forgive Nereus? To not hate him? To understand... to understand what? That they were similar? He already knew that... so what was he doing here?

Maybe right now he was just supposed to try to figure that out.

The teen smiled as he glanced up at Milla, looking away from his feet for the first time. "You know... you're right. It's about trying," He said as he closed his eyes and tried to listen to the music. "One, two, three, one, two, three..."

Milla's face lit up as she spun again. "Yes, that's it Razputin, you're doing it! Oh, great job, darling!" She gushed.

Raz gave a laugh. "Don't say that or I'll mess up and step on your foot!" He warned as he narrowly did just that.

His partner laughed as well. "Alright darling... let's just keep at it, alright?"

"...Alright."

The two continued to make their way across the dance floor, a mass of color in the otherwise dim and dreary ballroom. The music rang through the air, mournful, and the shadows seemed to slid out of their path as they slowly continued onward. Raz hardly noticed, however, as he was too busy focusing on not stepping on Milla's feet.

Finally, the two reached the other end of the ballroom floor just as the song the orchestra was playing ended. Raz gave a sigh of relief as he stepped away from Milla, panting. "Jeez... that's way, way more tiring than it should be." He muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Milla laughed, appearing to not have been phased at all by the entire ordeal. She looked radiant and happy as always. "Well, now you know how to waltz, at least."

Raz chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I guess... although whether I'll remember or not is another story." He said, grinning at her.

The Brazilian smirked. "You'd better, young man! If I find out you can't remember at the next company party, you'll be in a lot of trouble!" She declared.

"Awww, that's not fair!" Raz exclaimed. "I mean, seriously, this was kind of a weird situation! I mean... jeez, who knows if you'll even remember this!?"

Milla huffed, folding her arms. "You men and your excuses. I expect _you_ to remember!" With that, she turned towards the door. "Shall we be going, darling?" She asked, smiling as she glanced down at him.

Raz blinked, then glanced back at the dance floor. The shadows continued to dance in the cold, silvery light, the mournful music wafting through the air, their whispers just beyond his reach. He then shook his head and turned back towards the door. "Yeah... let's go."

With that, they opened the door and left the quiet, sad party behind them.

**-Razputin, Razputin... please...-**

The two of them found themselves in a small, dusty coat room. Coats of all shapes and sizes hung from the ceiling, pressing at them from all sides in dull colors of white, blue, and gray. It was as if they were standing in a forest of them. Raz coughed as he inhaled a bit of dust from a nearby white fur coat, stepping back and pushing it away. "Ugh," He muttered. 'Looks like someone needs to do some spring cleaning."

'No kidding, darling." Milla wrinkled her nose. "And these coats... ugh, talk about lacking in style!" She muttered as she pushed several of the gray, dusty things away from her.

Raz coughed again as he pushed aside another coat. "Yeah, it's kind of... wha?" The teen blinked as brushing aside another coat caused the entire rack to shake, and quite suddenly rows and rows of the coats rolled back and several lights flashed on to reveal something that caused him to yelp in horror.

It was a skeleton. It hung from the rack, limp and rotting, bits of moldy flesh and dead blond hair hanging off of it. A tattered, gray tunic hung off of the frame. Thin, bony wrists were locked to the rack, bound by a set of rusted metal chains. It stared at him with wide, gaping dark holes, the worn teeth twisted into a grimace, dead eyes wrinkling like old grapes.

Milla frowned and made her way towards the teen's side. "Razputin, what's-- oh my!" She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared at the skeleton.

Raz shook his head and looked away. "Great," The teen groaned as he stepped back into the nearly made clearing. "Literal skeletons in closets. Well, this is just fantastic."

The older Psychonaut shook her head as she looked away as well. "I wonder what it could mean..."

"Hell if I know," Raz muttered, shaking his head. "But I don't think I want to go looking through this closet anymore. Knowing Nereus, there's probably more." He said as he glanced suspiciously at the other coats.

Milla made a face and moved away as well, brushing off the dust that had clung to her brightly colored clothes. "Well, let's see what else we have here aside from bones then, alright?" She said as she glanced around. "I for one would like to hurry and get out of this creepy place."

Raz nodded as he glanced around. "No kidding. Now if I were a door, where would I--" He was cut off as several coats rustled. "Um... did you do that?" He asked, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Um... do what, darling?" Milla asked.

The shuffling happened again, this time from a different section of the closet. "That!" Raz exclaimed.

Milla shook her head as she sidled up next to him. "It's not me, darling... and whatever it is, I'm betting it's dangerous." She said as she put two fingers against her forehead.

Raz nodded as he slid into a fighting stance, the sword of Vritra appearing in a burst of flames. "Knowing how this mind is, I'd say you're right." He growled. The coats rustled once more. "Alright, whatever you are, come on out!" He snapped.

The coats began to rustle once again, growing closer and closer as Raz's grip tightened on his sword. What could it be? A nightmare? Another one of those things he had fought with the coach? A shadow? Nereus himself!? There was a final rustle and a shadow loomed over them, blotting out what little light there was.

Raz snapped. "You'd better show yourself or I'm going to tear you apart, you--" The teen trailed off as something small, blue, and whimpering trudged into the light. "...Poor, defenseless, memory vault.?"

Milla let out a laugh at this, dropping her arms to her sides. "And here I was getting worried!"

"Yeah, yeah, false alarm." Raz muttered as he let his sword vanish again and walked towards the vault, making a point of going slow and not appearing threatening. The vault cringed away for a moment, then settled as Raz knelt before it and pet it on its head. "Shh, shh, relax..."

"Poor little thing... I wonder why it's like this?" Milla said, brow furrowing in concern as she leaned over to look at the tiny, terrified vault.

The teen shook his head. "I dunno. All of Nereus' memories have been really weird," He said as the vault finally relaxed and spit out a tiny, spit-coated reel. "Although I really can't blame the thing, I'd be scared too if I were trapped in this place." He added as he stood, glancing around for a player. His eyes finally fell on a dusty one with coats piled on it and he moved towards that, Milla following.

"How strange..." Milla murmured, hugging her arms to herself. "Most people don't go to such lengths to hide their memories."

Raz shrugged as he pushed the coats off of the player. "Yeah... well Nereus isn't like most people, Milla. Maybe this will help explain why..." He paused to glance at the reel. "It's called 'The Galochio's Burden'. Ooh, dramatic."

With that, he put the reel in and hit play.

--

It was a special day in the Galochio camp.

Family members rushed this way and that, babbling amongst themselves in excited voices. Shimmering decorations of silver and blue were hung up around the camp, the cooks rushed to make as much food as they could starting from sunrise to sunset. Children rushed around excitedly, playing games and laughing even as their parents snapped at them. There was an air of excitement, of joy around the camp.

After all, The Heir was to turn thirteen tonight.

Nereus himself grimaced as another loud child rushed past outside of the caravan. He hated all this noise... it was the most activity he had ever seen in the camp and to be honest, he didn't like it. It carried an excited, happy air on the surface, but Nereus could feel it.

There was bloodlust in the air.

"Child, focus!" Thin fingers with long nails painted like jewels gripped at his face, eliciting a wince from the boy as he was forced to look at his mother. She gazed down at him with heavily lidded eyes, her face covered with shimmering blue make-up, her waist-length silvery hair tied up in an elaborate style.

Nereus gave a sigh as several other women bustled around him, drying him off. He had already been up well before dawn. This was something he was well used to, but as opposed to training, he had immediately been taken to a shimmering, glowing pool with various markings etched into the stone. His mother and father had accompanied him and he had been commanded to drink from this pool as his mother chanted something. He had then been forced to undress from his usual white tunic and step into the pool, which had been cold as ice, and had been forced to stay immersed within it, supposedly contemplating his duty while his mother and father had continued to chant. Really, all Nereus had been able to think about was how he couldn't feel any of his limbs.

Finally, when the sun rose he had finally been allowed to step from the pool and make his way back to camp. shivering and pale, as his mother finally led him into the caravan. He now stood inside the dark room, shaking as icy droplets slid across his pale, scarred frame. He could see very little in this caravan, for it was his mother's, and he had never once actually been inside. The windows were covered with multiple layers of silky, patterned cloth, making it impossible to let any light in. The only light came from several scented candles, which gave off a spicy scent that made Nereus want to gag.

"Ah--" The boy winced as a woman got to his head and ran a cloth through it, drying his off. "Mother, is all of this really necessary? It is only a birthday." He said.

"Silence, child," His mother hissed, gripping tighter at his face. "You are The Heir and this is the thirteenth year! Tonight is the night of the ceremony. If you were not so _weak_, I would have let the purification process take far longer than it did!"

Nereus made a face. "Purification? For what?" He asked, as the women finally dried him off and stepped away.

His mother gazed at him coldly for a moment, then flashed a smile, though it wasn't a very nice smile. "For the ceremony, you fool. Tonight is the night Indra awakens." She drawled as one women rushed quickly around Nereus, rubbing all sorts of strange smelling oil over him, then stepped away.

The boy felt his blood run cold. "Indra?" He asked as the women crowded around him again, this time carrying elaborate robes of silver.

"Yes!" His mother exclaimed, her eyes flashing excitedly. "Ah, how exciting, is it not!? Tonight is the night your training is complete, boy! The night that your destiny finally comes to fruition! At long last, the time has come for your great honor!"

Nereus swallowed as he gazed down at the ground. Indra... tonight was the night, was it? He had hoped this would never come. What would this mean? Would he change? Would he cease to act like himself? What would happen? What would the ceremony entail?

What would happen to Razputin?

As he mused, the women began to bustle around him. Two forced him to lift his legs as they tugged a pair of tight, pure white pants on. A set of women knelt at his feet, wrapping them in dark blue cloth, and Nereus grimaced, he was not used to his feet being covered by anything. Still others lifted his arms, forced them into tight silver sleeves that gleamed in the candlelight, the cloth fitting snugly and hiding away his burns and scars. The boy winced as the robes were tightened to the point of being almost painful around his torso and tied together with a long, blue silk sash. The robes clung tightly to his thin frame, though the back trailed behind him and drifted like water all the way past his feet. The robe itself was emblazoned with all sorts of patterns, though central to it was a pair of blue wings and the Mark of Galochio sewn into the back.

His mother smirked as she gazed down at him. "There we go... and now boy, hold still as I apply the markings." She drawled as she took a small brush from a jar of shimmering blue paint.

Nereus grimaced. "Is this really necessary? I am not a _woman_," He said, wrinkling his nose at the scent coming from the paint.

Again the woman gripped at his face with her nails, eyes flashing. "Do not speak that way, child!" She hissed. "This is the ceremonial dress for your part, and you _will_ go along with it! This is a great honor, you stupid boy, now be silent!"

The blond glared coldly back at her as she began to swirl the brush over his face, bristling.

How could this woman be his mother? She never once had called him by his name.

As the woman worked, the other women continued to bustle around him, placing all sorts of gleaming jewelry on him. Silver bangles on his wrists, gleaming rings of metal around his ankles that would jingle as he walked, a cold choker was placed around his throat. The boy gave a yelp of pain as an earring with a dangling, single shard of sapphire was suddenly jammed into his ear.

"Silence, boy!" His mother snapped. "You almost made me mess up."

Nereus hissed as a cloth was dabbed at his abused earlobe, numbing it. Couldn't they have pierced his ear earlier? No, of course not, that would be too simple.

At long last the women stepped back, gazing at him. His mother stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "One last thing," She said, reaching for a box on a table. She snapped it open and pulled out a single silver circlet, the Mark of Galochio etched upon it. "Bow, boy." The woman hissed.

The boy did as he was told, sinking down to one knee. A hush fell over the room as his mother began to chant something, the candles flickering as she spoke, blue psychic energy glowing around the circlet. She placed it upon his head, still chanting, her voice growing louder and louder.

A breeze blew through the room as if on it's own accord and the candles blew out.

His mother smirked and stepped back. "I present... the Heir of Galochio." She murmured, gazing down at him. "Rise, boy."

Nereus took a deep breath and did as he was told. "Thank you... mother," He said slowly, though he didn't mean it at all.

The woman nodded curtly. "You are free to return to your caravan to rest now, child. You will be summoned when it is time for the feast."

Nereus nodded, silently thanking the heavens for finally being able to leave. He was starting to feel light-headed from the fumes. He glanced around, his eyes finally settling on his old clothes, and he walked towards them, reaching for his goggles.

"What are you doing!?" His mother exclaimed, sinking her nails into his shoulders.

"Ah!" The boy winced. "I was just getting my goggles!"

"Stupid boy, you cannot go wearing those disgusting things, we would have to redo the purification all over again!" The woman hissed. "If they are truly so important, you may wear them _after _the ceremony, understood?"

Nereus looked from the goggles to his mother, then gave a sigh. "As you wish, I won't wear them." He said, picking up the goggles, watching his mother's face. She gave a twitch, but as he didn't seem to be trying to put them on she didn't do anything else. "I'll be going, then."

With that, he turned and stepped out of the caravan with his goggles in hand, silently musing over how much he would rather be wearing them as opposed to the heavy silver circlet upon his head.

It was as soon as he stepped out that he found himself running into Spinoza... or rather, it was Spinoza who ran into him. The other boy gave a yelp as he tumbled to the ground in a heap. Nereus silently thanked the heavens that it had not been _him _who had fallen and gotten himself covered in dust, or he would have found himself going through the whole getting ready process again.

"Nereus!" Spinoza exclaimed excitedly from the ground, peering up at his friend. "I heard you're turning thirteen today, that's so great! Happy birthday!"

The blond snorted and folded his arms before him. "I suppose that's one way to put it." He muttered.

Spinoza frowned as he stood, not even bothering to brush all the dirt off. "Awww, why so sad, Nereus? It's your birthday, you shouldn't be sad on your birthday!" His brow furrowed as he glanced up and down at Nereus. "Why are you dressed like a girl? And why is your face painted all weird?" He asked, reaching out to touch him.

"I am not dressed like a girl, it's a ceremonial robe you dolt!" Nereus snapped as he batted Spinoza's hand away. "And it's that reason I'm so down, you moron! Have you _not_ heard everyone running around rambling about the ceremony!?"

"Ceremony?" Spinoza blinked in confusion as he glanced around at the various decorations. "What ceremony? I thought we were just having a party!"

The blond gave a groan. "You are truly the most unobservant imbecile I've ever had the misfortune of meeting," He muttered. "The ceremony, you moron... tonight is the night I'm supposed to have Indra awaken." His shoulders slumped as he said these words, his gaze going to the ground.

"Ooooh," Spinoza nodded brightly. "You mean the big monster in your head that you're supposed to use to... oh... OH!" The blond suddenly gasped, eyes widening as he finally realized. "Oh man, you mean--"

"They're going to expect me to go after Razputin? I am not sure. All I know right now is about the ceremony tonight... all I know is from here, everything changes." The boy glanced down at his hands, feeling his heart sink.

Spinoza frowned. "Why does Indra awakening mean everything has to change?"

Nereus scowled. "Have you not heard everything I've said, you dolt? Razputin is Vritra! I am Indra! I am supposed to follow our family's teachings and destroy him!"

"But you don't believe those teachings." Spinoza said, brow furrowing.

"No, I don't!" The blond shook his head. "I don't believe them, but I'll have to do it anyway!"

His friend's frown deepened. "Why?"

"Because the family says so, that's why!" Nereus snapped. "Have you not been listening at all!?"

Spinoza cocked his head to the side. "But won't you be the head of the family?"

"Yes! That's why it's my duty to--"

"Do whatever you want!" Spinoza finished excitedly.

"...What?" Nereus blinked, brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

The other boy laughed. "You're supposed to be the most powerful psychic in the family, right? So who can tell you what to do? No one! Nereus, this means you can finally start telling everyone _else_ what to do!" He said with a grin.

Nereus blinked, eyes widening. He had never thought of it that way. "You know... you may be right!" He said. "I'm going to be the head of the family... this could finally be my chance to change things! I won't _have_ to kill Razputin! I can make things different!"

Spinoza nodded excitedly. "That's right! This is your chance!"

"This is my chance!" The blond repeated, positively ecstatic. He began to pace in circles, shaking with excitement as he babbled. "I can make things different! I can teach everyone the truth! I can find Razputin and save him, I can save him! I'll finally finish this stupid war! This is the night everything finally changes for good, Spinoza! Finally!"

"Yaaaaay, go Nerrie!" The other boy cheered and clapped his hands together, then lunged towards Nereus with open arms. "Big hug!"

Nereus shoved him away, back into the dirt. "You'll get me dirty, you moron. And don't call me Nerrie," He added, but he was smiling.

Spinoza laughed from the ground. "You're so nice to me, Nereus! Alright, if we can't hang out now, how about later?"

The other boy frowned. "Hm?"

"Well..." Spinoza smiled shyly as he began to trace his finger in the dirt. "You see, it's your birthday... and I don't think anyone should have to spend their entire birthday at some stuffy ceremony... so I was thinking, maybe afterwards the two of us can meet up at celebrate!" He glanced up at Nereus and beamed.

Nereus gazed at him for a moment, then smiled. "You know what... that doesn't sound like a bad idea, Spinoza. I've never actually celebrated my birthday before. It could be a nice change." He said, grabbing the boy with telekinesis and helping him to his feet.

"Yaaay!" Spinoza cheered excitedly as he was set down on his feet, then began to dance. "Nerrie and me get to have a paaaaaaarty!"

"Don't call me that!" Nereus snapped, but went ignored.

"Party, party! It's gonna be great, we'll have cake and presents and streamers and pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs and goody bags and a pinata and nifty hats!" Spinoza rambled, jumping up and down.

Nereus rolled his eyes. "I truly doubt it will be that much of a party, Spinoza. There's only two of us and we don't have any of the things you were listing." He said, folding his arms before him.

"Awwwww," Spinoza's shoulders slumped. "...Can we still have nifty hats?"

"...I'll consider it."

"Yaaaaay!" Spinoza began to dance again while Nereus simply shook his head, though he was still smiling.

"Spinoza!" Nereus tried not to flinch as he heard the familiar, shrill voice of Spinoza's mother ring through the air. Spinoza himself paused in his dancing, blinking and glancing over to see his mother and several other women that Nereus had previously seen in his own caravan. They were all standing there with severe looks on their faces, glaring at the two boys.

Spinoza, oblivious to the cold fury radiating off of his mother, just beamed and waved. "Oh, hi mom! Why didn't you tell me we had such a big thing going on today?" He asked cheerily, azure eyes twinkling.

His mother, a short woman with quickly graying hair and far too many wrinkles, scowled. "I already told you that, you stupid child! Now get over here!" Even with her usual harsh words, there was something in her dark blue gaze that made Nereus frown. And why were all the other women there as well?

"Why, do you need me to help?" Spinoza asked, cocking his head to the side. He was apparently oblivious to the odd air the entire situation seemed to have.

"Yes! You have... you have a duty to preform, we've discussed this!" His mother hissed, wringing her hands as she glanced over at the other women.

The boy blinked in confusion. "A duty? Oh wow, I'm sorry mother, I must have forgot! I'll hurry and help, then!" He said, immediately jogging towards his mother, slowing only to turn to his friend and smile apologetically. "Sorry Nereus, I have to go, alright? I guess I have something important to do, how exciting is that, huh?!"

"Yes..." Nereus trailed off, frowning. "Very exciting."

"Haha, yeah! I'll see you later!" Spinoza gave one last wild wave, then hurried to his mother, whom promptly tugged him away and began whispering in a hushed, harsh tone. The other women began to crowd around them as well, speaking lowly.

Nereus watched as they all faded around the corner, then gave a sigh as he turned and made his way towards his caravan. What had that been all about? He had never seen Spinoza's mother like that, psychotic woman though she was. And all those other women... what could they possibly want with Spinoza? Did it have something to do with the ceremony?

The blond shook his head as he opened the elaborately carved door. No, no, that couldn't be it. Spinoza was far too stupid to be considered for anything involving the family affairs. Spinoza had obviously just forgotten to do a chore, that was all. There was nothing to be worried about.

Even so, as Nereus disappeared into the caravan, he couldn't seem to get the image of the woman's sombre eyes out of his head.

It was hours later when Nereus was finally allowed to exit his caravan, flanked by several of the women and his mother. The sun had dipped under the horizon, which seemed to only cause the occupants of the camp to grow more rowdy and excited. Orbs of water had been summoned into the air, their eerie blue-green glow filling the camp, casting all sorts of strange shadows thanks to the gaudy decorations that hung everywhere. Great tables had been set out in a clearing, their blue tablecloths covered with more food than Nereus had ever thought the camp had. The delicious, strange, otherworldly scents wafted through the air, some so strong and odd that they made the boy's stomach turn, while others seemed mildly appetizing. The Galochios danced and paraded through the clearing, hooting and hollaring as a variety of flutes and drums were played in the strangest music Nereus had ever heard.

The boy had finally been made to sit at the head of the main table, where he sat awkwardly between his mother and father. The instant he sat the music died down and his father stood, causing the entire group to go silent.

"My brothers," His father called out. "Tonight is the night! It has been twenty years since our last Heir was chosen, twenty years since the last battle that left both Aquato and Galochio struggling. However, we have recovered, whereas they have only weakened! It has been thirteen years since we last saw that family, thirteen years since we killed the last of their wretched women! Now but one duty remains, the dawn of this long night of war has finally come! This is the last time, my brothers!" His rough hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Nereus' wrist, pulling the boy roughly to his feet and ignoring his yelp. "With this child, we shall at last finally end this war! The time has come!"

The entire group let out a great cheer, claps and shouts sounding through the air, yelps of "Long live the Heir!" filling the child's ears. Nereus stared at them with wide eyes, feeling his stomach twist. They were all so excited for something so horrible...

"Now, my brothers, celebrate, for tonight is the night! Be merry, for our victory is here at last! Let the feast begin!" His rather continued, unaware of his son's feelings. The rest if the group all gave cheers, then settled to their seats as the music began to play again.

"Good job, Aurelius," Nereus' mother said stiffly over the music.

"Thank you, Seraphim," Her husband replied dully as he sat back down.

Nereus gave a sigh as he sunk into his own seat. His mother and father had always been like this. He really doubted their union had ever been for any reason other than to give birth to him, and the two hardly did anything to disprove this theory. They were hardly in the same area of camp together, let alone the same caravan or the same bed.

"Boy, eat," His father nudged him roughly. "This is for you, and no one can eat until you do."

The blond gave another sigh as he gazed at the food. Most of it didn't look terribly appealing, it all smelled far too strong and seemed to be so heavily spiced that Nereus doubted even chicken would still taste like chicken. The blue lighting didn't help, as it gave everything a dull, cold air. He finally settled on some fruit and bread, piling bits of this onto his plate before picking up a grape. He gave a sigh, then popped it into his mouth. He really didn't feel hungry.

This small act seemed to be enough, however, as soon enough the party was in full swing. Family members babbled amongst themselves as they dug into the food, children rushed this way and that, laughing. The musicians continued to play, their strange music filling the air. His mother and father both filled their plates and began to eat as well, each pointedly talking to anyone who didn't happen to be each other. Nereus merely gazed around as he picked at his food, absently musing on the 'party' he and Spinoza would be having later.

"Whatever we do, it's bound to be better than this," The blond muttered as he bit into a piece of bread. He then paused, frowning, and glanced around the area. Where was Spinoza anyway? With all this, surely the boy would be causing some kind of problem... But no, he couldn't see that head of spiky blond hair and those purple goggles anywhere.

The boy's brow furrowed. Surely Spinoza wouldn't miss something like this, he had been rambling about it all day! The blond glanced around, his eyes finally settling on another boy with long, greasy blond hair who was munching on an apple. "Cassius!" Nereus called out.

"Hm?" The blond glanced up, scowling. "What do you w-- ...ah, my Lord," The boy bowed grudgingly, though the sneer on his face made it clear he didn't like it. "Ah... my apologies and congratulations, sir."

Nereus snorted, well aware that the other boy's words were a total lie. He had heard enough of the boy making fun of him in front of his face, nevermind all the things he was aware of behind his back. "Where's Spinoza?"

"Spinoza?" Cassius wrinkled his nose. "That stupid kid? How would I know?"

The blond scowled. "Considering you seem to take quite a bit of pleasure out of making fun of him, I assumed you may know."

Cassius snorted. "I haven't seen that idiot since this morning. No one has."

Nereus' brow furrowed. "Since this morning?" He repeated. "That's odd..."

"And not my problem," Cassius huffed. "Now if you'll excuse me, My Lord..." With that, he slicked back his hair and wandered towards another Galochio girl, whom glanced back at him and giggled.

The blond sighed and shook his head as he watched them go. "Inbred brats..." He muttered, taking another bite of his bread. Nereus gazed lazily around at the rest of celebration, fiddling absently with one of the silver bracelets on his wrist. When it came down to it, his family didn't look so bad... a few of them looked pretty hideous thanks to genetics but... perhaps once he took over, there could be hope.

His thoughts were interrupted as one of the women leaned towards his mother, whispering something in her ear that he only just barely caught. "The sacrifice is nearly ready, My Lady, and it is nearing midnight."

"Ah, yes, thank you Ares," His mother nodded, the charms in her hair tinkling with the motion.

Nereus frowned as the woman stepped back. "Sacrifice?" He repeated, brow furrowing. "What sacrifice?"

His mother glanced down at him, eyes narrowing. "Do not ask foolish questions that you do not understand, boy," She hissed.

The blond's eyes narrowed. "Mother, I believe I have a right to know, as I--"

Long nails suddenly shot out to dig into his arm under the table. "Know your place, child!" His mother snarled, her eyes flashing dangerously as if lit from within. Her beautiful face was a mask of rage, accented by the paint on her face. She didn't look so beautiful anymore. Nereus winced, tensing, then gave a nod. What could he do against this woman?

His mother flashed a smile, not a very nice one, and withdrew her nails. "Good boy."

Nereus slumped back in his seat, ignoring the throbbing in his arm as he glanced around. Suddenly, the entire party seemed far more sinister. What was going on here? What was the sacrifice? And most worryingly... where was Spinoza?

Something was very wrong here, and he had to find out what it was.

The blond glanced around and his eyes finally settled upon two of the women, whom were walking towards the back of the camp and were whispering to each other. He then glanced to his father, touching his sleeve lightly. "Ah... father?"

"What?" Cold sapphire eyes fell upon him and Nereus flinched, but did his best to keep composed. He had to learn to stand up to this man.

"I... ah, I need to go relieve myself. May I?" The blond lied.

His father's lip curled. "If you must," He muttered after a moment, turning a way. "But hurry. The time for the summoning is soon."

Nereus nodded in thanks, then stood, stepping around various chairs and away from the party. As soon as he was certain his father and mother wouldn't see him he hurried after the women, doing his best not to let his robes flutter too much in the wind and give him away.

At last, he caught up with the two and stepped behind a caravan, listening intently.

"Honestly, that child is so annoying... he doesn't even realize how important his place is," One woman muttered.

"Tch, at least he's less full of himself than his mother," The other woman sneered as they walked. "Thinking she's so high and mighty just because she was the one to bear the little monster... ha! The only reason she was chosen is for looks, little else. _I _would have brought forth a far more worthy Heir." She muttered.

The first woman snorted. "Ah yes, of course, because that would look lovely. I'm sure that little brat would have turned out so much better if he'd been born from siblings as opposed to cousins."

Nereus felt his stomach twist. So his parents were cousins... this was hardly a surprise, seeing how no one was allowed to marry outside of the family, but even so... it really was not something he wanted to know. The blond shook his head, it wasn't a fact that mattered now. He had other things to worry about. With that in mind, he continued to follow the two.

"Silence, bitch. You know nothing," The second woman huffed. "I was nearly chosen."

"But you weren't," Her companion scoffed. "Well Ares, relax, I'm sure if all else fails you can still be chosen to burn as the sacrifice."

Ares gave a harsh laugh. "Hardly. You know as well as I that it must be a child... though why this one, I do not understand," She muttered, wrinkling her nose. "He has to be the most annoying child I've ever met.

"Oh, I'm aware!" Her companion sneered. "'Blahblahblah Hi what's your name blahblahblah Nerrie is my best friend blahblahblah ooh, what are you doing, what are you doing? Hahaha that tickles'! Oh my... it's enough to make me want to kill him right now!" The woman snapped, dropping her mocking, high, nasally tone.

Sapphire eyes widened in shock and Nereus paused in his tip-toeing. They couldn't possibly mean... no, no, it had to be wrong, they had to be talking about someone else!

Area shook her head, her short blond hair moving with the motion as they neared a caravan. "I suppose it cannot be helped... he was the only child who would give the Heir the time of day. Stupid boy," She muttered.

Nereus shook his head, feeling his knees go weak. No, no, this couldn't be right, they had to be wrong...

"Indeed, a pity... but I suppose it cannot be helped," The first woman muttered as she reached for the door. "Such is a Galochio's burden, I suppose... even for a stupid brat like that." With these words she opened the caravan and stepped in.

"Oh, hi, I remember you!" Spinoza's voice echoed from inside the caravan.

Nereus felt his stomach twist. "No..."

"Hi, how are you!?" Spinoza greeted cheerily. "Are you having fun!? When do I get to go to the feast? What's your name anyway? What's with all the shiny stuff? Why--"

"Silence, you stupid boy!" Ares snapped as she followed behind her companion.

"Hey, what's with the rope? Are we playing a game?"

"...Yes. It's a game," Ares said, her voice suddenly sickeningly sweet. "Now hold still while we get you ready to play, alright?"

"Ooh, yay! I love games! Like there was this one time when--"

The caravan door closed, muffling Spinoza's continued ramblings.

Nereus stood just outside the caravan, feeling his entire body go numb. Spinoza was the sacrifice. Spinoza was going to die because he had bothered to be friends with him. Spinoza was... No. No, he couldn't let this happen! He couldn't! He had to stop it!

The blond let out a growl, sapphire eyes narrowing dangerously. They weren't going to take his only friend from him. "Spinoza!" He called out, his voice ringing through the air. "Spinoza, don't worry, I'm going to save you! Just hold on!" With that, he charged towards the caravan, his robe rustling behind him.

Before he could get to the caravan, however, a pair of strong arms clamped around him.

"My my, what do we have here?" The man from the healing caravan sneered, his face one of dark glee. "Looks like we have a little runaway!"

"AH!" Nereus let out a shout, bucking wildly against surprisingly strong gloved hands. "Let me go!" He snarled, bits of blue energy sparking around him. "Let me go or I'll kill you!"

"My my, such strong words," The healer sneered, tightening his grip. "I'm afraid I can't let you interfere, however. Your father is already quite upset with you, I doubt we want to let you botch up the ceremony and make him even madder, hmmm?"

"Let me go! AUGH! Spinoza!" Nereus cried out again, struggling wildly. Blue energy was sparking around him, but it wasn't forming into anything. Why couldn't he attack!? It felt as if something were clouding his mind, blocking everything...

"Now, now, relax. You can't attack me, I made some modifications to that ceremonial crap of yours just for this reason," The healer drawled as he tapped lightly on the circlet on Nereus' head. "No worries, you'll get all that power back and more after the ceremony. Now come on, we don't want you to be late." With that, he turned and began to walk back towards the main part of camp, dragging the kicking and screaming boy with him.

"No! NO!" Nereus screamed as he thrashed, reaching desperately towards the caravan they were leaving behind. "Let me go, I have to save Spinoza! I... ah! Spinoza!"

The healer smirked. "No worries, you'll see him at the ceremony... in a manner of speaking. Now relax... you should be more worried about yourself, kiddo. You've got quite a bit in store for you." With that, he threw back his head and laughed as Nereus continued to thrash.

"No! I have to save him! I... augh, no! SPINOZA! SPINOZAAAAAAAAA!"

The boy inside the caravan never heard him.

--

**To Be Continued...**

_Dun dun dun. Oh the drama!_

_Every time someone reads this chapter and doesn't review there's less of a chance I'll feel motivated to finish this fic. Come on guys, we're two chapters away! Please review and tell me what you thought!_

_As for when the next update will be, I'm aiming for two weeks from now again but seeing how I spent the past two weeks totally failing at writing... well, we'll see. I'm hoping it'll take less than a year, though. If you review you're more likely to help me want to keep at it, so please review, alright?_


	22. The End of All Things

**-Cursum Perficio-**

**A Psychonauts Fic by Digitaldreamer**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The End of All Things**

_Hello again everyone._

_Yes, I'm aware, it's been a long time. It's been so long that has changed its formatting rules again and all my old formatting no longer exists, which is annoying. I'm gonna have to fix that at some point. There's also now a Psychonuats wikipedia… jeez, it's amazing to me to see how much this whole fandom has changed. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this thing. I'm sure you're all aware that when it comes to multi-chaptered fanfiction, you're taking a bit of a gamble in regards to whether your inspiration will last long enough for the project to be finished. In this case, unfortunately, that didn't happen. Life happened, college happened, different fandoms happened, and long story short this thing isn't coming back. That is a shame, but sometimes it can't be helped…. and well, to be fair, this thing was absurdly overdramatic anyway. But hey, it's still my baby and probably the first fanfic that I consider to be a success- the yaoi days don't really count- so I figured I owed you guys the last of what I wrote and a summary for what would have happened. So without further ado, here are the last bits of Cursum Perficio. Apologies to Pancake for the quite-possibly-literal mutilation of his character, hurr._

* * *

Fire.

It was something Nereus had only seen a few times in his life, and would rather have not seen again if he could help it. There was something about fire that seemed sinister, the way the flames leaped and twisted into the night sky. The orange tongues snapped and crackled like a wild beast. smoke billowing into the air as the whispers of an ancient curse spoke at the back of his mind. It gave a terrible light to the camp, replacing soft blue with wavering gold that cast sharp shadows across the trampled earth.

With the fire came the voices, a cacophony of cheers and chants as that strange music from the feast had been transformed to something far more terrifying. Shrieks and cries of glee filled the air, far more frightening than the smoke and flames that twisted through the dark sky.

Nereus had no idea what was going on, but one thing was certain: he did _not_ want to go near the fire and that noise. Unfortunately, the healer was far stronger than him.

"Let me go!" Nereus cried, thrashing violently in his captor's arms.

"Oh, stop struggling, would you? You're going to mess up your pretty clothes and then your dear mommy and daddy will be mad at me," The healer drawled as he made his way toward the source of the noise. He seemed frighteningly cheerful, a fact which was most likely correlated with the current chaos going on up ahead.

Nereus gave a growl as he desperately kicked out his legs.. "No! You put me down right now or I'll-"

"There you are!"

The blond immediately froze as if he'd been shocked, eyes widening in fear. It was his father!

"Ah, there you are Aurelius," The healer's face spread into a grin as Nereus' father rushed towards them, his robes swishing around him in the night. "I figured you'd be looking for our little troublemaker." Aurelius ignored him, instead favoring to reach out and grab Nereus telekinetically, tugging him from the healer's grip.

Instead of setting the boy to the ground, however, his hand clenched into a fist, causing the telekinetic energy to squeeze around the blond. "You stupid child!" He roared.

"Ahh!" Nereus let out a cry as his body twisted in the air, grinding his teeth as the air was crushed from his lungs. "F-Father-"

"How dare you speak to me?" His father snarled, his expression positively livid. "You have no right to so much as _look_ at me after the stupid stunt you have just pulled, let alone speak to me!" He waved his hand and allowed Nereus to drop to the ground, sapphire eyes blazing dangerously. "You could have ruined the entire ceremony had you not been found!"

The healer gave a soft laugh from his place at the man's side. "Indeed. Good thing I was there, hm, Aurelius?"

"Yes, Faustus. How fortunate." Aurelius didn't even glance at the healer, he was too busy glaring at Nereus. "You foolish child..." He hissed as he stalked towards the shaking boy. He knelt down and hauled Nereus to his feet, pulling back a fist. "I should-"

"Now now, come on Aurelius, no harm done," Faustus cut in cheerily. "You mustn't hurt him too badly... I can't imagine your wife would appreciate you bloodying him up before the ceremony, hm?"

Aurelius paused, panting for breath, his eyes flashing between the healer to his terrified son. There was a great cry from farther in the camp, the music was growing louder. Finally the father gave a growl, releasing the front of the boy's robe and grabbing his arm instead. "Very well. Come, boy." With that, he began to stalk toward the center of the camp, pulling Neres with him.

Nereus let out a shaky breath as he was tugged along. He supposed he was fortunate that he wasn't about to be beaten... but there was still the issue of Spinoza. He knew his father did not approve of Spinoza, but he also knew the family blood was precious. Surely his father wouldn't allow more Galochio blood to be spilled! "F-father-"

"Do not speak, child," His father growled. "You are already late."

The blond shook his head as they grew closer to their destination. "But father, they're going to... they're going to sacrifice Spinoza! You have to stop them!"

"Stop them?" His father's eyes narrowed, the firelight casting an eerie golden glow across his face as a small smirk twitched across his face. "Why would I stop them? It is a necessary part of the ceremony."

Sapphire eyes widened and Nereus nearly tripped over his own feet in shock. "...What? Father, no, you can't allow this! You can't, he's-" He was interrupted by a cacophony of voices. In a swarm all of the women who had been helping him dress earlier had surrounded him, all speaking quickly as they took hold of his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Ach, you're late, the mistress has already begun to speak!"

"Hurry, hurry child!"

"Gah!" Nereus let out a yelp as he was dragged along a path lined with torches. "S-stop, I don't... no, let me go! I have to help Spinoza! STOP!"

He went ignored.

The women dragged him with surprising strength down the path, ignoring the way the boy's bound feet dug into the earth and kicked up dirt and rocks. As they made their way forth there was a great cheer. Galochios lined every side of the path and were cheering and calling out, but Nereus could barely make them out in the flickering shadows of the fire. The music swelled as Nereus was pulled forth, and above it all he could hear his mother chanting. Finally he was dragged to the center of the camp, where a large fire had been erected. Placed before it was a great stone basin filled with water, a variety of runes etched into it, and beside this two wooden pillars had been stuck into the earth, etched with similar markings. Finally, there was a table made from similar wood placed on the other side of the fire.

In the firelight, Nereus could faintly see dried blood on the table.

"No..." The blond gasped, his eyes wide. "No, no, no, let me go!" He screamed, fighting desperately against his captors. His efforts were futile, however, and with a final heave he was shoved to his knees in front of his mother, whom was standing at the center of it all and chanting.

His mother paused as she gazed down at him, expression cold. "You're late, boy," She hissed, the firelight seeming to twist her beautiful face into a terrible, demonic one.

Nereus gaped at her, his eyes wide. "M-mother..."

"My brothers and sisters!" The tall woman called out, silencing the crowd. "At long last, the time has come! We are finally ready to begin the ceremony! At last, the gift of Indra will be returned to us! With this boy-' At this she grabbed Nereus, hauling him to his feet. "We will at last have our revenge! We will finish this foolish war!"

A great cheer erupted from the crowd, causing Nereus' stomach to twist. Didn't they realize what they were cheering for? Didn't they understand! They were cheering for the death of two innocent boys, for the annihilation of a family, for so many terrible things...

Nereus flinched as his mothers hands suddenly touched his shoulders, snapping him out of his dark thoughts. He glanced up at her, eyes wide. "Mother, please, we have to stop this! Spinoza is-"

His mother, however, had already begun to chant, her strong voice echoing through the night. He saw two women rushing to the basin and doing something with it out of the corner of his eye, but was unable to really see what they were doing with his mother's fingers clutching him in a vice grip. She guided Nereus towards the stone basin, her throaty, harsh words ringing in his ears.

"I-I, mother, please, I-"

He was cut off as his mother grabbed the back of his head and without warning shoved him face first into the basin, eliciting a yelp from the boy that quickly transformed into a gargle. Nereus thrashed as he fought against the woman's hold, her chants muffled by the icy water that swirled around him. The firelight flickered above the surface, his mother's face little more than a swirling dark blob above him. He was thrashing and kicking but she wouldn't let him up, he couldn't breathe!

Finally, just when he thought he would run out of air he was pulled out of the water, liquid splattering to the earth as he slumped in his mother's grasp. Nereus gasped for breath, soaking wet hair falling over wide sapphire eyes. He barely noticed as several women surrounded him and took him from his mother's grasp, then began to drag him towards the two pillars. He did, however, snap out of it as thin fingers grasped at his clothes, and without warning the top robe and his sash were pulled away.

"What are you doing!" Nereus demanded, thrashing in their grip as the cold night air hit his bare chest. "Let me go! Stop, listen to me!" The women ignored him as they hauled him between the pillars. Without warning they grabbed both of his arms and pulled them from his sides, tying one arm to each pillar with practiced ease. The same was done to his feet, and before Nereus knew it he was completely helpless.

Nereus hung there, dripping wet, as the women backed away. He had fallen silent for the moment, his chest heaving as he struggled for breath, trying to ignore the way the smoke blew in his face and stung his eyes. What on earth was going on here? No one had told him how this ceremony was supposed to work. Being strung up like this made him feel very uneasy. He barely noticed as his mother continued to chant, gazing at the wild crowd. Were these people really related to him? They all had mad, terrible gleams in their eyes, their cries for blood... how could he possibly be the same as these people? There had to have been a mistake...

His thoughts were interrupted as he realized a clearing was being made. The cheers were, for a moment, now focused towards something that was being forced through the crowd. The blond peered out into the darkness from behind dripping wet bangs, feeling his heart sink. He didn't need to look, he already knew what, or rather who, was being pushed along.

That didn't stop his stomach from twisting as he finally spotted Spinoza being shoved forward. He watched the boy fall in a heap before Nereus' mother, dirt smearing all over his face and plain gray clothes. The boy lay there for a moment, breathing heavily as he gazed around with bewildered azure eyes.

"Spinoza!" Nereus called out. "Spinoza, get up!"

The other boy blinked, then looked to Nereus. The instant he spotted his friend his face broke into a happy smile. "Nereus! Hi! How are you!" The blond called out cheerily.

Nereus' eyes widened. Did Spinoza not comprehend what was going on? "How does it _look_ like I'm doing, you moron!" The blond cried.

Spinoza gave a laugh. "I... I guess that's true. Funny, those ladies promised me a party, but this is a really, really weird party and I- ouch!" He gave a yelp as he was tugged roughly to his feet by his hair. He was placed before Seraphim and he gazed up at her with confusion. "O-oh, hi Nereus' mom, what do you-"

He was interrupted as Seraphim placed her hands on his head and began to chant. The entire crowd fell silent as she whispered, her eyes falling half closed and twitching, her wispy voice whispering through the air, long hair billowing around the two of them as a wind swept through the area, the flames dancing through the sky. Nereus watched in horror, his eyes wide. Finally after a moment Seraphim's eyes opened again and she turned to the crowd.

"My brothers and sisters... it is known, of course, that the heir cannot be made the heir by his will alone. Things must be lost for such power to be gained. We have given much over these past years to keep Nereus Galochio at his strongest and most pure, and now at last we come to the final stage... that of the sacrifice."

"NO!" Nereus cried out, thrashing in his bonds.

"Sacrifice?" Spinoza repeated, blinking.

"The sacrifice is an essential part of this ritual, my brothers and sisters. He has tried his best, but I assure you that my child is, for the moment, woefully human. Not only is he woefully human, he is connected to the Aquatos, our hated enemy!" At these words the crowd let out a boo and a hiss. "Indeed... such a creature is so tainted, he is almost not worthy! However, this is where our sacrifice comes into play!" At these words she took a hold of Spinoza's head and spun him around to face the crowd, her nails digging into his face as she ignored the child's cry of alarm. "This child shall be the price for our heir's purification, and with his blood we will give our heir the power of Indra!"

"W-what?" Spinoza sputtered, eyes widening as the crowd cheered. "I'm... blood? What?"

"NO!" Nereus screamed. "NO, no! Mother, don't do this! Don't do this!"

His mother paused, looking to her child and sneering. "Silence, you filthy child. Can you not see this is for your benefit?" Spinoza stared up at him, eyes wide, mouth agape. The boy appeared to be in shock.

"How is it for my benefit!" The blond snarled, hands clenching into fists, nails digging into his bare palms as the crowd's cheers rang through his ears. "You're going to kill my best friend! No foolish, Godforsaken ritual is worth this!"

There was a gasp of shock and the crowd fell silent.

"What did he say?"

"I don't believe it..."

"Why that little-"

Sapphire eyes flashed at this and his mother gave a sickening smirk. "Is that so? Our ritual is so pointless? If that is the case..." She released Spinoza and stalked towards Nereus. Her long-nailed fingers twined through his sopping wet hair, tugging him towards her as with a glint of steal a gleaming knife was held to his throat. "My boy... if you truly believe this, if you truly are unwilling to go through with this, then you must die!"

Nereus eyes widened and he stared at his mother, mouth going dry. "...What?"

His mother grinned, her eyes shining with malice, her expression a horrible mask of utter insanity. "Do you truly think you're that important, my child? The only way you hold any importance is as the heir. If you refuse to go through the ritual and accept what is rightfully yours, we have no use for you. Regardless, someone must die tonight, and if you refuse to allow things to be as they are meant to be, we will return your blood to this earth so we can start over again!"

At her words the crowd gave a great cheer, their voices ringing through the air.

"KILL HIM!"

"HE'S MADE US WASTE THIRTEEN LONG YEARS, KILL THE BRAT!"

"DIE! DIE! WE WANT HIS BLOOD!"

Nereus let out a shuddering breath, his shocked eyes meeting his mother's manic ones. The knife blade pressed against his throat, drawing several ruby beads of blood from his neck. He couldn't believe this, after everything his mother was just going to kill him, he couldn't believe this, he-

"STOP!" Spinoza's voice rang through the air, silencing the crowd. Seraphim paused, glancing over her shoulder to see the boy standing there. "I... I'll do it!"

The heir's eyes widened and he swore he felt his heart stop. "No..."

His mother's expression, however, twisted into a smirk. "Oh my... is that so?" She murmured, her voice suddenly frighteningly sweet.

Spinoza swallowed, then nodded. "If the choice is between me and Nereus... I'll do it. I'll die for him." He was shaking, but his lithe shoulders were set, pale face set into an expression of grim determination that didn't fit him at all.

"No..." Nereus repeated, feeling as if his entire body had gone numb. "No, no..."

His mother, meanwhile, gave a horrible laugh. "Would you look at that... it seems your idiot friend has more sense than you... how fortunate." With these words she released Nereus and walked over to Spinoza, placing her hands on his shoulders. "The ritual will continue!" She called out, eliciting a cheer from the crowd.

"NO!" Nereus screamed. "No! NO NO NO!"

The crowd continued to cheer as Spinoza was lead towards the other side of the fire, beyond Nereus view. The blond let out a shout as he strained against his bonds, struggling to keep his friend in his sight. "Spinoza! Spinoza, don't do this! Don't do this!" He cried out.

Spinoza paused and glanced up at Nereus, innocent gaze meeting Nereus' terrified one. "Nereus... I'm sorry, I have to."

Nereus shook his head, tears coming to his eyes. "No... no you don't! Please, don't do this! It's just some foolish ritual, don't do it!" He pleaded.

"But if I don't, you'll die," Spinoza said simply.

"Who cares!" Nereus cried, shaking his head again. "I'm not... Spinoza, don't do this! Please, please don't! It's not worth it, it's not!"

The other boy shook his head. "Yes it is, Nereus. Inoue needs you. Razputin needs you. You... you're going to do great things, remember? You can't die here."

"Yes I can!" Nereus screamed. His throat felt raw from all the yelling and the tears were spilling down his cheeks and he probably looked like a mess but he didn't care. "I can and I... Spinoza... Spinoza..." He let out a choked sob, crying openly now. "Don't do this. Please. I can't lose you. You looked at me when no one else would, you talked to me, you...you can't die, you idiot! If you die I'll never forgive you, do you understand me! I'll never forgive you, so you can't die! You can't... you... Spinoza! You promised me a party, you jerk! How dare you break that promise you... you... augh! You're my best friend. I... I..." He trailed off, his voice little more than a broken whisper. "Please, please don't... please... please don't do this."

Spinoza gazed up at him solemnly for a moment. Then he smiled, that same bright, radiant smile that he had given Nereus on the day they had met. "When we met... you never smiled, but now you do it all the time. I wanted to have that party because it meant you would smile a lot... but I guess that's not gonna happen now. Promise me when I'm gone that you'll keep smiling?"

"Spinoza..." Nereus sobbed.

The other boy grinned. "I'm glad I met you, Nereus. Just... always try to keep smiling, okay?"

With those words he allowed himself to be dragged around the fire, out of Nereus' view.

"No..." Nereus whispered, his eyes wide. "No... no! No, Spinoza! Don't let them do this to you!" He screamed, once again fighting valiantly against his bonds. He kicked and thrashed, but the ropes held fast. He glanced around wildly, desperate for something, anything to make it stop. His gaze finally settled on his father and he gave a cry. "Father! Father, please stop them!"

The older man glanced up from the place where he had stoically been watching, eyes narrowing. "Stop them?" He gave a horrible laugh at this, his terrible cackle mixing with the cheers of the crowd. "My son, there is nothing I can do. That boy must die. How many times have I told you? Sacrifices are necessary... and for you to be cleansed, to be the vessel we require you to be, something must be lost. That boy has been given a great honor. He will die for you!"

The blond stared at him. " But... Spinoza... he..." Nereus shook his head violently, feeling his throat constrict. "No... no! Someone stop this! Please! I- AH!" He let out a cry as his mother's powerful hands suddenly grabbed at his shoulders, forcing him to be still.

"And now... let the ceremony commence!" She called out, causing a great cry to erupt among the Galochio family.

Nereus let out another cry at this, fighting against his mother's grip. "No, no, stop! Stop it, you stupid... augh! Spinoza! Don't do this! Fight them off! Please!"

His mother let out a laugh. "It's useless, boy. He cares for you too much. There is nothing more that you can do."

"Shut up, woman!" The blond snarled, glancing over his shoulder to fix her with a glare. He then looked back to the crowd. "Galochios! Galochios, please don't do this! Please, listen to me! Am I not meant to be your leader! This has to stop! Please, don't let this happen, don't kill one of your own! Don't-" He was cut off as his mother's hand clamped over his mouth.

"Silence, boy. You have nearly dismantled my ceremony for the last time," The woman hissed into his ear, her icy tone sending chills down his spine. Nereus swallowed. The crowds cheers were growing, he could faintly hear the sounds of a knife being sharpened, he could feel Spinoza's terror... no, he couldn't let this happen, he couldn't!

But there was nothing more he could do.

His mother released his mouth and placed her palms on his back again, beginning to chant. The crowd's excitement was growing to insane levels, their shouts for blood filling the air. The flames cast a terrible glow across their faces, transforming those he had formerly seen as his family into a massive, indistinguishable crowd of demons. Their mouths opened and shut as they let out shouts and cries, teeth appearing wicked and sharp in the flickering light, their blue eyes shining with a terrible, blind insanity. He could hear another woman calling out orders, yelling something about a sacrifice...

"No... no... no... this has to stop... this has to stop..." Nereus whispered, gazing at the crowd in horror. "I... I have to... no, no, no, stop, stop STOP! STOP!" He screamed, once again desperately struggling.

His hoarse voice was lost in the crowd's shouts and his mother's chanting, but even with all this he could hear the other woman. In his minds eye he could see it, the way the knife was hefted into the air, the way the firelight glinted off of the blade, the way Spinoza simply closed his eyes and smiled one last time...

"**SPINOOOOOZZZAAAAAA!**"

There was a swish, a thunk, a choked cry... and just like that Nereus knew it was done.

Spinoza was dead.

The blond fell silent, his eyes wide with shock, his entire body numb as he went limp in his bonds. The jeering crowd, his mother's chanting, it all seemed to fade away, leaving him hanging there in the dark with that simple realization.

Spinoza was dead. His best friend was gone. Spinoza was gone. Spinoza would never laugh again, would never smile again, would never be able to call him those stupid nicknames again, would never again be there to listen as Nereus spoke with him about everything and anything, would never be there when we went to visit Inoue, would never be there to understand things when no one else understood. Never. He was gone.

"...Why?" The blond whispered, his voice coming out in a cracked whisper due to being raw from screaming. "Why? Spinoza... why? I... I..."

He hardly noticed that his mother had stopped chanting for a moment. He was forced back to reality, however, when suddenly something warm was smeared across his back. The boy suddenly tensed, his sapphire eyes narrowing. "What..." He gasped, glancing back at his mother. His mother gazed back at him and smirked, holding up her bloodied hands as she began to chant again... and Nereus realized.

It was Spinoza's blood on his back.

The blond let out a choked cry and bucked violently, trying to shake off his mother's grip... only to be cut off as quite suddenly his mother's fingers were thrust into his mouth, a coppery taste filling his senses. Sapphire eyes widened in horror and Nereus shuddered, feeling his stomach twist. He almost threw up, but his mother's lithe fingers forced him to bite the rising bile back.

* * *

And, unfortunately, this is where we stop. Or maybe fortunately, since I wrote all that awhile back and boy does it ever show. At any rate, here's what happened after that to the best of what I can remember. Keep in mind there may be some discrepancies since it's been awhile and I lost the original plot notebook, but I'll do my best.

Right, so Nereus' mother completes the ritual, obviously. It involves this fun, incredibly nasty process of carving these nifty tattoos into Nereus' back and some psitanium which is actually used to unlock all that absurd psychic power- and, y'know, drive our poor Galochio insane. It's pretty tragic.

The memory reel ends after this and Raz and Milla continue onward. They're walking for a ways and it's only after Raz makes it out of the closet that he realizes Milla isn't with him anymore. This is pretty par for the course, however, so he continues on through the dark until he arrives in a long, ornate hallway covered in dust. I think there were portraits on the walls, but I can't really remember. At any rate, he shows up here and there's Lili.

Yeah, like you all didn't see that coming.

They're both glad to see each other and they walk hand in hand as they make their way along the hallway. Lili asks Raz if he's still mad at Nereus. Raz admits he is, but admittedly lately he's had a few thoughts about it- no thanks to people constantly talking in riddles. He's starting to think Nereus isn't entirely at fault, Freudian Excuse and all that, and maybe he should cut him some slack considering how absurdly terrible his life has been. After all, they gave Oleander another chance. It's with this in mind that they come to the last memory vault, sitting alone in the hallway. Raz breaks it open and they watch.

Nereus is now fourteen and pretty much dead to the world. He obeys his mother and father without question, using his powers to attack non-psychics and help his family seek out Raz. They're having trouble finding the Aquatos since Vitra hasn't awoken, however. At any rate, this goes on for awhile… and then one day he happens upon his father abusing Inoue. This ends up being the breaking point and he finally _snaps. _Inoue gets locked in a caravan by Nereus' father and then Nereus goes on a rampage and kills _everyone_. Like… burns them alive on stakes. Because well hey, with all the hate on his object of obsession, that's pretty fitting, isn't it? Right, so the Galochio family gets wiped out in a single night by Nereus' craziness… and then he comes to get Inoue. He holds her close and promises to protect her no matter what the cost. It's then that he spots his old goggles in the caravan, which he hasn't worn since the night of the ceremony.

It clicks and he pulls them on. He is the Heir of Galochio. As his family has said, he's the Lord. He's practically God. He had every right to kill his family because his judgement was above all of them… and it's above all of the rest of the world as well. He knows this is true. And after all the abuse he'd received from them and everyone else, he thought it's time to use his knowledge properly. He knows nonpsychics are evil, but he's seen some good through Razputin… so he' would fix the world. He'll make it perfect for psychics. He'll save Razputin and make a perfect world for him.

Nothing like insanity to help make some fantastic jumps in logic.

So the reel ends and Lili observes the fact that Nereus is _freaking crazy_. Raz agrees, and it's then that he hears the voice calling his name again… and then it clicks for him.

The voice is Nereus. Nereus is calling him, begging him for help, because somewhere in his mind there is still that little boy who simply looked up to Raz as the only good thing he knew. Somewhere in there is the boy who just wanted to save his sister and who doesn't understand where things went so impossibly wrong. Somewhere in there is just an idiot teenager who needs help facing his personal demons like Raz did with Vitra… and when they're so similar in that regard, how can Raz deny that?

So they keep walking and finally they reach a great door, similar to the one in Raz's mind. Lili says she can't go any farther, Raz knows that. So they kiss, Lili makes him promise he'll return… and with that, Raz goes on.

Nereus is in the dark, fighting a great, winged dragon of water- Indra. He's fighting and fighting, but of course he's losing. Voices echo throughout the room, the voices of his parents, Spinoza's final cries, images of Inoue's death, constant reminders that he is a failure and he doesn't deserve to even see Raz because he failed at that standard. He's pretty much just getting beaten into the ground.

And then Raz shows up.

So they fight the dragon together now and all the while Nereus is apologizing, insisting he's been trying to do the right thing and he doesn't know what happened. He's lost control and he can't stop it, and all he wanted was to be with Raz to make all the hurt stop. Raz says it's okay and insists that if he took control of Vritra, Nereus can do the same. Nereus insists he can't because he's not as strong as Raz, this whole mess pretty much proves that.

Except then Raz forgives him. Because how can he not, when he's made just as many mistakes and everyone forgave him in the end?

So he says this and this proves to be enough to spur Nereus on. They both take hold of the sword of Vritra and take down Indra together, the world spins…

And then Raz wakes up on the mountain again. His friends are relieved and amazed to find he's alive, but Raz pushes past them, concerned about Nereus. Since Nereus is no longer connected to Raz, he collapses… and unfortunately is now dying, because unlike Raz he doesn't have the ability to heal and the fight did quite a number on him. So Raz rushes to his side and pulls him close, begs him not to go because yes he did a lot of terrible things but they both understand each other. They really are like brothers in a way and they finally have this chance to make it all right between the Galochios and the Aquatos, things are finally _fixed _and it's not fair…

Nereus just smiles and tells Raz they've already fixed it. They've already fixed it and Raz has already saved him, so that's good enough for him. This is good enough, and now he needs to go apologize to Inoue, which is all he really wants right now. So with that in mind, he dies in Raz's arms. Raz is… quite distraught, really. And none of the rest of the group really understand why, but they somehow feel a similar level of understanding since they went through Nereus' mind too in a sense. It's pretty sad.

So they go on to bury Nereus and Inoue next to each other on a hill overlooking the sea. Raz and Lili stand in front of the graves for a bit and Lili observes that it's really somewhat silly that they're all so "alas, poor villain" about this whole thing. Raz doesn't really think so… but hey. He's forgiven Nereus, he's moved on, and hopefully Nereus is in a better place. So that's… not the best ever, but not the worst either.

Anyway, the next scene is a scene of all the campers heading home- generally a giant near world-destroying disaster is a cause for camp being cut short. Fortunately, most of the kids families are fine, and the older campers are all fine as well. The parents would really like to know where Raz is, however, and Dart would like to say goodbye- but Raz isn't there. Sasha explains that Raz's case is currently under investigation. He did nearly destroy the world, but it wasn't really him and there are brain scans and all that good stuff to prove it. Plus, because Nereus is gone, so is Raz's connection to him, which means Vritra and Indra have both vanished. Because of this, it's very likely he'll be off the hook. Several parents are angry about this and still demand to see him at Psychonauts Headquarters, but Sasha smiles and says they won't find him.

"Well, where is he?"

"He's on vacation."

Cut to a scene of Raz standing on the beach in swimtrunks, wiggling his toes in the sand. His body is covered in scars but his face is hopeful as he gazes out at the water, which is tinted gold in the sunset. Lili comes to stand beside him.

"Are you scared?"

"Yeah."

"Don't be. I'm here."

They kiss and make their way into the waves hand in hand, and that's the end.

Whoo. So yeah, uh… good God this plot was stupid. Very stupid and Kingdom Hearts-esque. My anime influences were definitely showing here and it's no secret that I strayed completely from the tone of the original game. The levels of angst and OVER NINE THOUSAAAAND power levels are kind of absurd here and I'm sorry for that. I also abused the elipsis tool far too much for my own liking and the fic changed a lot at the end- the thing with everyone showing up in Nereus' mind was NOT supposed to be there originally and good Lord did that stretch things out. That being said, this thing is still my baby and I do still love it. The year or so I spent in this fandom was one of the greatest years of my life, I learned a lot and changed a lot. Most of the friends I had at the time I no longer really spend time with, but Pancake, Dylan, Kaya… you guys really do mean the world to me and I'm so grateful for everything I learned from you guys. So thank you.

Anyway, I guess that's it. I'm sorry I couldn't properly write this thing out, but I hope this will be good enough. For the record, I think if anyone wants to see the best Psychonauts fic out there they should check out Cerebral Soldiers, which captured the game far better than I did and also actually inspired this one.. If you haven't read it, you should check it out.

Thank you for everything guys. It was good times.

**-Digitaldreamer-**


End file.
